A Refusal to Mourn is a comic study of two elderly people who decide to take their own lives on their own terms. Howard and Helen have been married for sixty years. For sixty years they have lived a reclusive life in Bangor, Maine, relying mostly on each other. Then, Howard declares that they are old and are only growing older. Helen agrees. Therefore, they set off on a road trip that takes them from Maine to California where they plan to walk into the Pacific Ocean and willingly end their lives. Their drive provides highs and lows as they have not seen so much of the land in which they live, the changes, and the landscape. Their journey embraces their devotion to each other and their ability to live with resilience — even if it leads to their demise.