Miranda was a cat of many accomplishments: she was a good mother; she could sing; she had once chased sixteen dogs, causing them to flee in disgrace. Long ago, she and her daughter Punka lived in Rome in a beautiful villa with a senator and his family.

But when the city was invaded by barbarians, the family fled to safety--without the cats. Left behind in the burning city, Miranda made her way through crowded streets with Punka, collecting motherless kittens as she went. At last she arrived at the vast Colosseum, where she established a haven.

There it was, assisted by the valient Punka, that she preserved the lives of a multitude of kittens and cats--who were to become the noble ancestors of the cats of modern Rome!

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AUTHOR
Eleanor Estes (1906-1988), a children's librarian for many years, launched her writing career with the publication of The Moffats in 1941. Two of her books about the Moffats are Newbery Honor books, as is The Hundred Dresses. Estes won the Newbery Medal for Ginger Pye in 1952.

NARRATOR
Lyssa Browne started performing in theatre when she was very young. After receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Theatre and Dance she moved to Seattle where she has performed in many area theatre companies. Lyssa's voice can be heard as many different characters in Nintendo and X-Box games, as well as the narrator of documentaries for the Discovery Channel and others.

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REVIEWS
AudioFile
"Lyssa Browne, whose voice may be familiar to listeners from her work on the Discovery Channel, does an excellent job here. Her narration is pleasing and carefully paced, but full of expression when dramatic moments unfold. Best of all, Browne fearlessly and authentically speaks the language of cats (including yowls, meows, and purrs) and capably translates the odd Latin phrase for listeners. Children will enjoy this taste of ancient history told from a brave cat's perspective."