First published 2021
Federico accepts his role as a political hostage in the Pope's palace during the sixteenth century. He finds companionship with a cat that behaves strangely, growing from kitten to adult after stepping through a wardrobe. A mysterious visitor named Herbert appears from the same wardrobe, claiming to be an art collector from the future. Herbert seeks Federico's help obtaining a sketch signed by Raphael, but his mission turns perilous when he rushes back to his own time to save a dying girl. Meanwhile, Bee reluctantly adjusts to life in New Jersey after her family's move. When a neighbor shows her a sketch that looks exactly like her, Bee decides to isolate herself further. She discovers the same cat Federico knows and finds a strange cabinet in her neighbor's attic. The cabinet transports her to Renaissance Rome, where she encounters the great artists she studied in school and witnesses them creating their famous works.
Genres: historical-fiction, fantasy, time-travel, young-adult
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: New Jersey, Renaissance Rome
Period: 16th Century, Present Day
278 pages · Hardcover · Greenwillow Books