Lives of the Saints plot
"A gripping family saga of passion, betrayal and forgiveness."
Seven-year-old Vito lives in an Italian village where religion and superstition still play a major role in daily life. He adores his mother, a strong woman named Cristina. His father, Mario, emigrated to Canada. In his absence, his aunt, the teacher Teresa, becomes the mainstay of Vito and the rest of the family. She is the constant in Vito's life and educates him on the basis of texts from "Lives of the Saints", a religious book with illustrations. Everything changes when Cristina is bitten by a venomous snake and soon after discovers that she is pregnant. The gossip from the village makes life unbearable for Cristina. She decides to follow his father to Canada with Vito.