Ciatuzzu

Ciatuzzu” follows the story of a young boy named Ciatuzzu who must say goodbye to his mother at the tender age of nine. Once a happy and carefree child, Ciatuzzu’s life changes drastically when his mother succumbs to an incurable illness. Struggling with pain and loss, he experiences what it means to grow up without the love of the most important woman in his life. The small seaside village of Leto, with its jasmine-scented breeze, no longer feels the same.

Fortunately, Ciatuzzu is not alone; he has the support of his grandparents, siblings, the cemetery caretaker, and Lucia, a precious young girl to him. Just as he begins to find a new sense of normalcy, his father, who emigrated to Belgium, forces him to join him in this foreign land. Ciatuzzu’s world collapses once more. Far from Sicily and his dearest loved ones, he soon realizes that to overcome his fears, he must face them head-on and that one can see with the eyes of the heart.

Through the extraordinary voice of a child from the 1960s, this powerful story of resilience unfolds. Catena Fiorello delivers a moving novel about life’s challenges and the power of memory. Even in the darkest moments, the indelible memory of our roots and those we have loved will carry us far.