India-that exotic land of jewels, silks, perfumes, and spices, drew many a young adventurer to that distant and alluring land. Under British Rule, Hindus and Muslims live peaceably together. The mixed-race community-the Eurasians or Anglo-Indians-also enjoy the privileges and protection offered to them by the British-who represent an awning of shelter: A Shamiana. In the Shade of the Shamiana, is a tale of life in 1940s British India, where class and race distinctions and discriminations abound. But times are changing, and young Jamie Donaldson finds his world turned upside-down when his school, Fernhill, closes down without warning. His mixed-race mother, Lydia, is discontented in her marriage and misses the big city, and ends up making decisions that will forever change her son's life. Howard, the patriarch of the family, has secrets that could tear the family apart. Tensions rise as the possibility of a 'Free India' sparks riots and violence. Winds of change are in the air, and Jamie's world becomes something unfamiliar, unknown, and full of challenge and turmoil.