Before We Say Goodbye by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and Geoffrey Trousselot (Translator) (Review by Aura Johnson)

This book contains four short stories regarding a mysterious time travel café, Funiculi Funicula, where people are able to revisit one event in their lives, provided that they follow a certain set of rules. The overall story explores four people at various stages in their lives who want to relive a moment in their past and create a new memory with a loved one. Whether it is a man who never had a chance to say what he wanted to his wife before her accident, a woman with a guilty conscience over her dog’s last moments, a young woman regretting the decision she made during her boyfriend’s proposal, or a college student, who distanced herself from her father and lost him in devastating circumstances, all four of these people chose to go back to one event in their lives to right a wrong by meeting with the person, who is no longer with them in the present. Knowing that they cannot change the present, therefore no impact on the future will be had, the characters get clarity from their loved ones, explanations as to why things turned out the way they did, and gain perspective on the situations in their lives, coming back to the present a little happier. The author succinctly describes each character’s back story, their past and present, as well as back in time interactions so well, it is impossible to stop in the middle of one of these stories. Even though the overall tone of the book is lighthearted and characters are quite likeable, the story reminds me to be kind to everyone and live without regrets because you never really know when you are going to see someone for the last time.