Chiara, the Moon and I

Coming of age

Friendship can overcome any obstacle.


13-year-old Lorenzo has recently moved to a mountain village. To befriend some local children, he accepts the challenge of breaking into an apparently abandoned house. Instead, he discovers that a strange family lives there, in particular a girl, Chiara, who wanders around the garden at night. The two make friends and Lorenzo discovers that Chiara is suffering from a rare disease: Xeroderma Pigmentosum, which causes severe burns and melanomas even with brief exposure to the sun. She therefore lives shut up in the house protected from the light and doesn’t even go to school. Lorenzo wants to help her and tries to convince the school manager to prepare the necessary precautions so that the girl can attend school. But first he will have to overcome the mistrust of Chiara’s parents’, protective of their daughter, and his own father’s misunderstandings, which arose after his mother’s death.

  • A story of friendship and solidarity.

  • Many sick people can reduce their anguish and loneliness if they are supported by others. Friendship is a great medicine.
  • A touching story that teaches the value of empathy and true friendship beyond difficulties.
Publisher: Edizioni Paoline
Target: 12+
Year: 2018
Author
Daniele Nicastro

Daniele Nicastro was born in 1978. He currently lives in the province of Cuneo, where he writes all sorts of things: novels, postcards, messages in bottles, and phrases on walls. He started telling stories as a teenager—to his mother—every time he came home late without letting her know. Over time, he turned it into a profession. He made his debut with the novel Grande, which won the Legenda Junior Prize. With Fino all’ultima #challenge (Lapis Edizioni), he was a finalist for the 2024 Bancarellino Prize. As a children's and young adult author, he has published over 50 books, which have been translated into several languages. Coming-of-age novels and comics are his greatest passion.

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