At sixty years old, Ian has just recently returned to Australia from three months travel in India. The trip marked the end of a dilapidated ten-year relationship with an old school and family friend. Now, Ian finds himself mesmerized by a face on a computer screen. Her name is Lilly and he's never before seen such a beautiful woman. At that instant, he knows his life has changed. After writing eighty letters back and forth during the course of four months, Ian travels to Shenyang, China, to meet Lilly, a fifty year old masseuses and doctor, in person. As the weeks pass, their love grows despite their language barrier. Ian speaks no Chinese, and Lilly is just learning English. Ian hears Lilly's story of growing up in poverty, and he marvels at the beautiful person she is. Filled with insights to contemporary Chinese polities as well as slices of culture and cuisine, Lilly & Ian shares a love story that began across the miles and took root in Shenyang, China.