Ciatuzzu

“Ciatuzzu” is a story about a nine-year-old boy who must say goodbye to his mother. Once a cheerful and wild boy, in the face of the incurable disease of his mother, the world of Ciatuzzu changed. He now had to experience pain and sorrow, having to mature without the love of a very important lady. The sea resort village of Leto, with a fragrance of jasmine in the air, smells different now.

Luckily, Ciatuzzu is not abandoned; he has support from his grandparents, siblings, a guardian at the cemetery, and Lucia, who is the young treasure of Ciatuzzu. The moment he gets accustomed to this new routine, his father, who migrated to Belgium, forces him to join him in this foreign country. The world falls apart for Ciatuzzu once again. He soon realizes that to overcome one’s fears, one must face them, and that one can see with the eyes of the heart, far from Sicily and his dearest loved ones.

This is a very powerful story of resilience, brought to life with the extraordinary voice of a child from the 1960s. Catena Fiorello has crafted a moving novel on the challenges that life gives and the force of memory. The indelible memory of our roots and those whom we have loved will be highly helpful even in the worst moments.