Ciro Lazzari

Ciro Lazzari and his brother Eduardo are sent to live in a nearby convent in the Italian Alps after the death of their father. Their mother, Caterina, decides she can't cope with raising two boys—either financially or emotionally. Ciro is the younger brother who is approaching adolescence when the story begins. Ciro seems the more poetic and carefree of the two brothers, Eduardo the more practical one. Going to the nuns at the convent of San Nicola doesn't appeal to either brother, but they try to follow their mother's advice about being polite and respectful. They also follow her advice about volunteering for work at the convent. Ciro, despite the pain of rejection he feels, actively tries to fit in with the nuns and gains their favor.Catarina, their mother, meanwhile deteriorates mentally until she suffers a complete breakdown and is hospitalized.

Ciro is an extrovert...