Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi is Time Travel at it’s Finest & A Great, Stand-Alone Book, Even Though It is the Fourth in the Series (Before the Coffee Gets Cold)
by Jeneane Vanderhoof
Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi brings to life a book within a genre/ topic of interest that I love- time travel. However, the unique twist that I found in Kawaguchi’s, got me thinking deeply about this phenomenon and asking myself some of the questions that the characters in the book do.
One of which, that felt specifically special to me- If you went back in the past, would you tell your loved one about their impending death- especially if it couldn’t be changed- no matter what was done? This is one of several issues the book presents- through the characters and their unique stories. And in doing this, Kawaguchi gets readers to question themselves about these same things.
Cafe Funiculi is a special place- a magical place. And while there may be a scientific explanation for what goes on there, it is far beyond human understanding at the moment. So to deem it “magical”, I think, is on par with current knowledge and human understanding. But that only makes this story more interesting, leaving readers to ponder over what exactly is going on- because no one who has traveled at the cafe- has these answers, though they know the rules well.
And time travel within the cafe has some odd rules to follow if the traveler (or guest of the cafe) wants to go back in time and see the one person they want to talk to in the past. Because the future cannot change, whatever is said, whatever is done. For instance, the regulars and workers use a possible cash register theft as an example. If it happens, it will always happen- nothing can be done about it. While people can know about it, in the past, they, for some reason, didn’t talk about it- or lie. Nothing can change what has already happened.
There are some other oddities contained within the rules of the time travel, the actual time travel, the visit to the past, and way back- along with the ghost and how she is involved in all of it too. And travelers must beware- because after the coffee is poured you are transported back- and you must drink it before it gets cold– or you turn into the ghost of the cafe- really, the transporter (or maybe more like a gatekeeper- you be the judge on that one when you read it).
Once the coffee is gone, you go back. This is this strange balance for the travelers- to not go back too soon but not let the coffee get cold. As bad as this may seem, I hope one day for a traveler who has some kind of problem in this arena- which will keep me reading the series and the next book when it comes out. However, the cafe workers have an alarm for travelers who may struggle with this issue- forget the temperature of their coffee, having gotten overwhelmed during their visit.
The first traveler from the cafe, Mr. Kadokura was an archaeologist and adventurer who spent very little to no time with his family. And during the many times he was away, his wife had an accident that caused her to fall into a vegetative state. The doctors tell the family that she has two to three years to live and her time is about up when he arrives at the cafe.
Mr. Kadokura is a man who revels in experiencing everything- even going so far as to get cursed, “for the experience”. He is a thinker- who can’t get past the thought that if he tells his wife about the accident it must be preventable, even though he has been told the rules- that the past can never be changed. As he meets his wife he sits and ponders if he tells her- only to worry the family, with an accident they can never prevent or whether or not there is a loophole in all this, that he has to find. Will there be any wiggle room within the rules? Or will Kadokura follow them, which seems like a first for the man (following the rules, that is).
Learning of the cafe from an old magazine published seven or eight years ago, Mr. Mutsuo is the second trailer of the book. It seems he had a golden retriever named Apollo who died a week ago- at the old age of thirteen (smaller dogs live longer and that is an old age for a bigger dog). He and his wife could never have children. Apollo was like their child and his wife fell asleep while caring for Apollo (finally)- and the dog passed without her comfort (she was asleep). Mrs. Mutsuo has not been able to get over her grief- and regret, that she slept through his final moments. Mutsuo is inquiring about the cafe- for his wife to be able to say her final goodbye. What will the experience be like?
As the second traveler approaches the cafe for their trip, we learn a few other rules (that were stated in the old article). One is, “When you go back in the past, you can only meet people who have visited the cafe” and “When you go back to the past, you cannot get up or move from the chair.” (direct quote p. 73, 74) As the story unfolds, readers see that the rules of time travel within the cafe do too.
One thing with Mr. Mutsuo’s wife’s trip is the coffee dilemma because “People like your wife in particular, their regrets are strong. The stronger their affection for a lost loved one or pet, the harder the second parting can be…. Even more so than the first parting. Drinking the coffee might sound simple, but once lost in a flood of emotions, your wife may not notice the coffee getting cold until it is too late” (direct quote pg. 75).
Hikari Ishimori met her intended, Yoji Sakita, at a clue-solving gathering, one with puzzles to solve if you want to escape the room. The two were on the same team and though her first impression of him had been a “nerd with glasses”, the team of six became fast friends that night and hung out after. Four of the other people formed couples and the two that were left- Hikari and Yoji.
When Yoji proposes to her on their third Christmas Eve spent together, she wants to wait longer before they talk about marriage. Her thoughts behind saying this, are because she was not sure Yoji was the one. Six months later he dumped her, telling her he met someone else. When she sits down and tells the cafe staff, they inadvertently tell her about going back to the past- something Hikari had not been aware of (except briefly in an email from Yoji but it was quickly dismissed, as she did not believe it). Even though Hikari thinks going back to the past is futile, as it cannot be changed (she learns from the cafe workers), she decides to go back anyway- after a long debate. Because Hikari believes if the past changes the present should too.
However, there would be no point. After the breakup, and a cryptic message from Yoji, saying that the cafe where he proposed, you could go back in time, a few days later, she receives news of his death. And because she cannot change any of the past, Hikari sees no reason to go back in time and goes to leave the cafe. But something is gnawing in her chest and when one of the workers of the cafe asks her, “Are you sure you want to leave like that,” the feeling only intensifies. However, the things that happened- the break-up, the email, and his untimely death after that don’t make sense, so she decides to see if Yoji can clear their story up.
Though the story doesn’t end here, my review does as I have given enough tidbits and niblets to entice you to read (and way more than that)- if you would — — and you should! The book is a quick, short read (page-wise, in comparison to most other books and their length) and immensely entertaining and if you haven’t read others in the series, this book will draw you in and make you a fan. Don’t worry about reading the books out of order, as this book reads well as a stand-alone.
However, I do advise some tissues, because while the past can’t be changed, bothersome moments in life are repaired- the best way the past could ever be fixed- Especially with that rule the past can’t be changed. This is a book where, when you have a free night- sit with a cup of coffee, bundle up in a blanket, and read the entire book. It really won’t take long and you will quickly find yourself lost in
Happy Reading!