Eight-year-old Lenny is crippled by polio but is inquisitive and spirited. She spends her days in the park with her beloved Ayah, surrounded by a plethora of other park-goers: the Sikh zoo-keeper, the Pathan, strong Imman Din, and Ice-Candy Man, peddling popsicles and political unrest.

But as British rule in India draws to a close, whispers of Partition reach the affluent fringes of Lahore. Sectarian violence soon escalates and riots break out in the city.. Amidst the chaos, Lenny's Ayah is abducted and her idyll shatters. Her innocence, exuberant humour, and heart-wrenching insight lead us through these momentous events, revealing the fragile unity of a nation as it teeters on the cusp of historic change.