August, 1968: Babo Patel arrives in London from Madras, with curly
hair, jhill mill teeth and dreams of becoming a success. When he meets
the beautiful, auburn-haired Siân Jones, he falls in love instantly.
She, like him, is in search of something bigger than what the home she
left behind can offer.

But when Babo''s parents learn of his intention to marry ''some girl
from God knows where'' he is given an ultimatum: he can only marry Siân
if they agree to live in Madras for two years before returning to
London. As the years pass by, the calamities, quirks and heartaches of
first love, lost innocence, and old age unfold across cultures and
generations of this mixed-up family in a topsy-turvy world.