High-school track star Alison Bennett had met every expectation, until it all fell apart. After her first semester of college, Alison returns home for the holidays and reconnects with her former teammate Haley. As old feelings resurface, they must confront the choices that ended their running careers and reshaped their lives. Sharp, funny, and poignant, Before This New Year is a powerful exploration of love, loss, identity, and coming-of-age in today's relentlessly high-pressured world.