A Jewish refugee family and a Chinese family unite in wartime Shanghai after fleeing Nazis and Japanese occupation. Their son and daughter's marriage bridges cultures but leads to tragedy as the young couple seeks a new life post-war.

Thrown upon the World tells the tale of a Jewish family's perilous escape from the Nazis, while a Chinese family flees the Japanese, both finding refuge in Shanghai. There, the Jewish son and Chinese daughter are brought together through music, resulting in a forbidden marriage. The story describes the tragedy that befalls the couple and their children, as they try to find a new life in the postwar years.