A British woman living in a mountain village in Japan is trapped in an unfulfilling marriage. She yearns for change, but her history and her current state of mind have left her powerless. Alienated from society, she spends her days alone, measuring time by the passing of the trains. A chance sighting of a man on a train leads her to believe in salvation and a second chance at life. It also leads to an internal struggle and a descent into madness, as she clings to the desperate urge to feel alive. Her gripping tale explores the dangers of isolation and alienation, both from the self and society, and the psychological consequences from which there is no return.