El cuento del cafecito [The Story of Coffee]

I’ll admit, I was skeptical going into *El cuento del cafecito*—a 28-minute short story about a coffee plant? Where’s the plot? The conflict? But by the final line, I was wrecked. Infante López’s narration is the secret weapon here; his voice has the texture of sun-baked soil and regret, perfectly suited to a tale where the land itself is the protagonist. The story’s brilliance lies in its refusal to spell anything out. Alvarez trusts the listener to sit with the discomfort of a relationship that’s one-sided by design—we’re meant to squirm in the silence between the plant’s pleas and the farmer’s inertia. The ensemble cast elevates it further, with Victor Sabi’s gravelly interjections as the farmer feeling like a punch to the gut. My only critique? The ending hinges on a metaphor that, while poetic, might leave some listeners cold if they’re craving concrete resolution. And I’ll take issue with the production’s ambient soundscape—too often, the rustling leaves feel like a cheap ASMR trick rather than organic atmosphere. But these quibbles fade against the story’s quiet devastation. This is the kind of audiobook that wriggles under your skin and makes you reconsider every sip of coffee you’ve ever taken.