Eleven-year-old Rosa Mundi (white) “lived in a world where she hoped there was magic,” setting the stage for a classic orphan story with a cat-centric dollop of fantasy. Orphaned as a toddler, Rosa has been living with her sketchy aunt and uncle whose care ranges from negligent to malicious. Fortunately, Rosa’s lonely life is enlivened by the companionship of Balthazar, the cat living a pampered life next door, who first entered her room through a closed window. On a trip to Venice, Rosa’s aunt and uncle dump her at a small family-run hotel, where she learns how to communicate with the Italian-speaking owners and ventures into the city on her own. Interactions with Venetian cats and a near fatal encounter with her so-called caretakers culminate in a magical interlude with a winged lion statue and restored memories of the loving connection she once shared with her parents. Ensconced in her newfound hotel family, Rosa’s promising future seems assured. The nostalgic trope of the hard-luck orphan who finds happiness gets a fresh take with a contemporary setting and a dose of the fantastical.