One Year Later tells the story of an American woman, recently recovered from a serious illness, who learns to savor the essence of life through a cathartic trip to the Italian Alps. Liz, a dedicated teacher of comparative literature, struggles with her post-cancer life and changing priorities. Despite her husband's well-meaning over-protectiveness, she takes a trip with their friends - an American couple living in Milan - to Italy. When her friends assume the role of worried caregivers and suffocate her with a jam-packed itinerary, she escapes to the Alps to find her space. Here, Liz is able to reassert her independence. She learns to go forward, and return to her family, with a renewed sense of self -- free of compliance, guilt and obligation.—Lucia Mauro