El Año de Las Luces plot
April 1940. Manolo, sixteen, and Jesus, eight, are taken by their older brother, who is a lieutenant in the army, to a sanatorium for children suffering from tuberculosis. Once he arrives at the sanatorium, Manolo is sitting among a number of boys who are all a lot younger than he is. The only other man is Emilio, the handyman. His wife, Rafaela, is the cook. Then Manolo meets Irene, the woman who runs the sanatorium, and Mrs. Transito, the teacher. Manolo gets his first sexual experience with the sister, Vicenta. When she leaves the sanatorium, her place is taken by a girl from the village, Maria Jesus. She and Manolo fall hopelessly in love, a relationship grows between them that will stay with them forever.