Tony Giordano and his father Sammy have had a strained relationship ever since Tony's childhood, and it has grown worse over the years. The only time Tony ever recalls his father seeming happy was when he was strumming his beloved cittern, an instrument whose origins are unknown to the family. Sammy was born in Naples, Italy, where he once dreamed of owning a barbershop. But when he is convinced to give up his long-held dream and move to America to marry a woman he does not love, resentment and bitterness begin overtake his life-emotions that are soon transferred to his family in the form of abuse that lasts a lifetime. When Sammy becomes ill, he is placed in a nursing home where he soon transforms from a bullying ogre to a pathetic old man. As Tony and his sister witness years of pent-up frustration and stubbornness rise to the surface and contribute to Sammy's failing health, they have no idea that their father has been hiding a secret from them. "Protecting the Cittern" explores eighty years of family history leading to a discovery from the past that will change how everyone in the Giordano family views the future.