Journey to Siligo
I was so much impressed by the film that I read the book, too. Later on I was looking for my first bicycle trip destination abroad and I chose Sardinia. Of course I wanted to see the scenery around Siligo, the village where the boy grows up. When I approached it, I saw an older man driving a carriage pulled by an ass or a mule. I am quite sure that he was Ledda's father, because he was described to be stubborn and avaricious, all other peasants owning already a motor-driven carriage.
The type of life of the boy is not so unusual as it may seem. Small-scale agriculture was and is still one of the most frequent lifestyles. It was natural for me and other children in childhood to help the father in our school-free time. It's not bad to learn to know how nature works and to strenghten a bit the body.
If you are interested in the live of adolescents in a remote agricultural setting, consider also 'Hoehenfeuer' by Fredi Murer, where there is also a scene with unusual sex.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0093235/