“I will have you know it’s been a pleasure, to find beauty and magic and love, in loss.”
Hannah Cao’s debut novel, Cafe At 46 Old Street, is a story about found family, forgiveness, finding yourself and your identity as well as the growth and freedom that result from that. Hannah is a barista by day and writer by night, having previously published a poetry collection in 2020 (Seashore) she worked towards self-publishing this contemporary novel.
The book is told from four alternating points of view. One for each main protagonist in the story. Clementine, a coffee shop owner who will have to fight to keep it afloat. Alex, the coffee shop baker who harbours a lot of secrets and anxieties with his quiet demeanour. Winston, a bartender and regular at the Cafe with many personal struggles and who often doesn’t feel good enough. And Hanh, who has just moved by herself to London to start a new life and finds comfort in the café and its people. Strangers that become close and form bonds that will change their lives and will help them become more who they truly are without any fear.
Hannah’s writing is very poetic, which makes sense considering the author also writes poetry beautifully. There are a lot of touching scenes and lines that will tug at the reader’s heartstrings. It has that Ghibli slice-of-life feel, with London and its streets as the background setting which makes it all the more wonderful. You can tell this is a love letter to the city.
The characters are all very real and multidimensional. Each of them has a very distinct personality with their very own worries and troubles. They’re very likable and easy to relate to. The different points of views are very well executed since they allow us to know the characters on a deeper level. Even the side characters are very nicely written and it’s easy to like them as well. As the story moves forward one can see very well the connections and bonds that the characters share, this found family feel that does not fail to bring warmth and a sense of belonging. It ‘s inspiring. All the characters also have great character development by the end of the book, which is always very much appreciated.
Through each character the author touches on different topics like: becoming oneself, forgiveness, personal growth, and much more. And each is dealt with so much honesty and in a very tactful manner. However, the only “if” is that you will want more from them when you close the book, some topics could’ve been explored more but that’s probably just due to the limitations of the format. Ultimately, nothing is lacking, it’s just that need for more.
The book also deals with some heavy themes like grief, homophobia, and alcoholism (definitely check all the trigger warnings before reading) but the author did a great job in doing them justice without glorifying nor romanticising them. They were well represented.
All in all, Cafe At 46 Old Street, is a very heartfelt, touching, and comforting read. A solid debut that carries a lot of potential for future publications from the author.
Cafe At 46 Old Street is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and the author’s own Etsy page.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Sometimes all you really need is a place to call home.
Hanh arrives in London with nothing but her sketchbook and her journal. She is starry-eyed at the idea of starting a new life in the city of opportunities— where she is no longer forced to sit at Friday dinners with her father’s new wife and kids, and where, on the down-side, she is no longer with her first love.
Winston has always been a little out-of-sync. As if to prove how disappointing he looks next to his Golden brother, he just dropped out of university and, on top of that, was dumped by his girlfriend over text. Living a life of dark espresso without the sugar, he is struggling to find a role in his own life.
Clementine is a quirky rarity, a splash of nosy and a cup of eccentric, destined to be the driving force of her parents’ otherwise sleepy coffee shop —if she doesn’t lose it to the looming competition threatening her eviction.
Alexander grew up unable to fit in, having moved from Italy to London with his overachieving mother at a young age and constantly changing schools. His quiet nature is a curtain to his fears, but his delightful tarts are a reflection of how others feel about him.
From the outside, their lives are simple: they’re a group of an overjoyed newbie, a strictly sober bartender, an exuberant coffee shop owner and a quiet baker trying to find their place in the world. But still waters run deep in the Cafe At 46 Old Street, so when reality comes catching up to them, threatening their routine and crumbling their lofty walls, their lives are changed in the matter of a year.
Will they find their way back home?
Trigger Warnings
Memory loss caused by alcoholism (mention of consumption, off-page), Hospitalisation, Anxiety, Divorce, Grief, Off-page death of a grandparent in a character‘s past, Homophobia (no slurs or attacks), Sexual content: off-page and vague, Bullying in a character’s past (no violence, no slurs)
