Lillian and her restaurant have a way of drawing people together. Among the cast of characters are Al, the accountant who finds meaning in numbers and ritual; Chloe, a budding chef who hasn’t learned to trust after heartbreak; Louise, Al’s wife, whose anger simmers just below the boiling point; and Isabelle, whose memories are slowly slipping from her grasp. And there’s Lillian herself, whose life has taken a turn she didn’t expect.

In this moving tale, Kate throws a party for her female friends to celebrate her cancer recovery. Together they strike a bargain: Kate will do something that has always terrified her (white-water rafting) if each woman will accomplish one challenging task Kate chooses for her.