This novel has a similar vibe to the television series Midnight Diner, and not simply for the superficial commonalities of setting (a basement diner in Tokyo), and vignettes focused on different individuals. It shares a heartwarming quality, a humanity, a sense of hopefulness. Before the Coffee Gets Cold goes beyond this setup to include the magical element, that of the time traveling chair and warm coffee. Meaning, the person who sits in a certain chair in the cafe may travel to a specific time, but rules do apply— they cannot leave the chair, and their travel must conclude before the coffee goes cold, as they must then consume it all to return. The chair is normally occupied perpetually by a failed traveler, one who let the coffee go cold, as she is now doomed to sit all day at the cafe, reading the same novel, drinking coffee. She rises once daily to use the bathroom, leaving the chair available to any who wish to travel.

This may seem like a small idea for an entire novel, but the four vignettes, “The Lovers”, “Husband and Wife, “The Sisters”, and “Mother and Child”, each depict a different traveler and her reasons (all are female travelers), which aren’t entirely worked out at the time of commitment to the journey. Each feels something is not done that needs completing, something that needs to be said, whether an apology, an expression of love, or gratitude. Each traveler is in for a surprise, having one set of thoughts and feelings, only to learn a lesson and is the better for it. Some may discount the stories as banal, but what may be timeworn to one can feel timeless to another.

Written with a sense of empathy and humor for the characters and their all-too-human plights and weaknesses, the reader will enjoy these brief journeys of hope. We could all use simple stories of connection with happy endings, especially at this time. This novel is a perfect way to end your summer and begin to think about fall. Enjoy this recommendation.