Third World Café

A Book of Short Stories

The Third World Caf is a quaint coffee shop that specializes in coffee and tea from around the world. The Caf has twenty-fi ve tables for seating approximately one hundred patrons. In addition to the special teas and coffees, they also serve various desserts muffi ns, from plain to sesame-seed and blueberry; and cakes from cheesecakes to various chocolate-covered delicacies. Third World Caf is a book of fi ctional short stories based on this caf in Toronto, Canada. Moving from table to table throughout the caf, the author eavesdrops on the various conversations at each table. With a clientele that is mostly ethno- Canadian, the conversations make for engaging stories with a wide range of topics from homosexuality, inter-racial love; abuse, infi delity, and just plain boring love. The interaction at each table makes for exciting reading as the author chooses to identify the patrons by name only. The challenge to the reader is to identify each participant based on their names and their conversational style. Each table not only provides a new conversation but a new perspective on many subjects as the customers come from various walks of life. Some come for the tea, coffee and desserts; others make it a casual place for a regular rendezvous; some like the non-alcoholic nature of the establishment; some like the maturity level of the clientele; and others come to enjoy the quiet atmosphere with its lavish murals. Most of them return because of the take me away atmosphere that the owner worked so hard to create. The author leads you through fi fteen tables of unexpected twists and turns as you head to the surprise ending. Welcome inside the Third World Caf.