Vittorio is a quiet, impressionable six-year-old boy living in the impoverished Italian mountain village of Valle del Sole. With his father away in America, he relies heavily on his mother and his own vivid imagination to process the world around him. He is deeply influenced by local superstitions and Catholic hagiography, viewing his complex, often harsh reality through a lens of myths, magic, and miracles.

Cristina is Vittorio's strong-willed, independent mother. Educated beyond the village standard and openly scornful of the deep-seated local superstitions, she refuses to conform to the patriarchal expectations of Valle del Sole. Her defiant posture makes her a social pariah, especially as rumors about an illicit romance and the "evil eye" begin to alienate her family.

Serving as the *podestà* (mayor) of Valle del Sole, Vittorio's grandfather is a proud, traditional man who remains loyal to the fascist ideals of his past. He is a prominent village figure who deeply values social standing and conventional morality. His rigid adherence to tradition puts him at intense, unresolvable odds with his daughter's independent behavior.

Known to the village as *la maestra*, she is a firm but deeply caring primary school educator in Valle del Sole. Recognizing Vittorio's vulnerability and isolation, she takes a special interest in him, keeping him after class under the guise of punishment to read him stories from the *Lives of the Saints*.

Fabrizio is Vittorio's older, highly confident best friend. Growing up in severe poverty and facing frequent abuse from his father, he is eventually pulled out of school to work in the agricultural fields. Despite his harsh circumstances, Fabrizio remains optimistic and fiercely protective of Vittorio against local bullies.

Mario is Vittorio's absent father and Cristina's estranged husband. Having left Italy for Canada to find work when Vittorio was a toddler, he exists primarily as a source of tension, sending angry letters and money back home while expecting his wife to wait faithfully for him.

Di Lucci is the owner of the local bar in Valle del Sole, a central gathering point for the village men. He owns one of the few motor vehicles in town, a Fiat, and frequently acts as a driver during community emergencies while maintaining a close association with the town mayor.

The parish priest of Valle del Sole. Father Nick attempts to guide his congregation away from folk superstitions, though he wields his religious authority harshly in the schoolhouse. He frequently finds himself subtly clashing with Cristina over her secular independence.

Luciano is a World War II veteran and a long-time friend of Cristina who operates a restaurant. He gifts Vittorio a dented lira coin that deflected a bullet during the war, serving as one of the few friendly faces to the Innocente family outside their immediate village.

A local village woman and early associate of Cristina. Giuseppina represents the deeply superstitious nature of Valle del Sole, strongly advising Cristina to perform an animal sacrifice to ward off the "evil eye" and later turning cold when her advice is mocked.

The head of the village festival committee and a conservative political candidate in Valle del Sole. He functions as an intermediary for Mario Innocente, delivering funds and letters to Cristina, and positions himself as a leading traditionalist in the community.

A student at the primary school in Valle del Sole. Vincenzo repeats harsh village gossip about Cristina and the evil eye, prompting a physical fight with Vittorio that draws Cristina's violent ire against Vincenzo's own family.

A third mate officer aboard the ship traveling to Halifax. He takes a special interest in Cristina during the transatlantic voyage, providing her with gifts, better cabin accommodations, and exclusive tours, though his attention carries a jealous, possessive edge.

The official ship's physician on the voyage to Canada. He suffers from alcohol use disorder and maintains a careless, highly unprofessional demeanor, struggling to perform his duties when medical emergencies arise during severe weather.