When Anna is given the grim results of her most recent battery of tests, she decides to enter hospice and invites her lifelong friends—Helen, Caroline, Molly, and Ming—for one last visit. Sad, resigned, and furious, the infamous "Old Friends" converge on Anna's house, some to say good-bye, others to try to convince Anna to undergo just one more round of treatment. Together, they laugh, cry, reminisce, and mourn, ruminating on the profound influence Anna has had on their lives. Brilliant and bittersweet, Before Everything is a "celebration of friendship" that is by turns funny, heart-wrenching, and deeply memorable.