It’s been a while since I read The Full Moon Coffee Shop, and I don’t remember a lot about it, other than the cats. Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop is by Mai Mochizuki, translated by Jordan Taylor. This second book is set during the Christmas season when three women struggle with their feelings and their “true wishes” for their lives. Their stories are lightly connected in that they know each other. Two are sisters-in-law; two work together. But, their stories are not dependent on each other. As the author says, they are stories of people’s lives. “There is joy and sorrow, misunderstandings and disagreements.”
Cats are symbols of good luck in Japan. The staff at the Full Moon Coffee Shop are feline messengers of the stars. Only those who need the coffee shop find in when it appears in unexpected places. And, they don’t take orders. They bring desserts, meals, and drinks that are selected just for that person. Then, they take the time to discuss your astrological signs, and why that meal is perfect for you.
Junko Ichihara has a seven-year-old daughter, Ayo, who has never met her grandfather. Junko left home in anger, and hasn’t spoken to her father since. However, when her mother calls saying he’s in the hospital, she and Ayo travel by train to visit. Before she sees him, though, she finds her past at the Full Moon Coffee Shop at the beach.
Satomi Ichihara’s brother is Junko’s husband. Satomi suspects her long-time boyfriend is going to propose on Christmas Eve. But, she’s comfortable with her job and lifestyle in Tokyo, and doesn’t know if she wants to change it. The cats make her examine what she wishes in life.
It’s Koyuki Suzumiya’s story that brought me to tears. She works with Satomi as an event planner, but she’s a temp. Koyuki’s father died on Christmas Eve when she was eight. She’s lonely until she meets a man at the Full Moon Coffee Shop.
These are all beautiful episodes, stories of women and regrets and wishes. As I said, they’re only lightly linked, but their stories all change after one meal served by the cats. To be honest, the astrological charts at those meals were a little confusing for me, but I liked the characters of the cats. And, I liked the three meals, and the changes that came about in Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop.
Best Wishes from the Full Moon Coffee Shop by Mai Mochizuki. Translateed by Jordan Taylor. Ballantine Books, 2025. 208p.
FTC Full Disclosure – Library book
