Sydney, 1942. The war is coming to Australia - not only with the threat of bombardment, but also with the arrival of refugees from Europe. Dreamy Columba's world is shaken when Ellery, the little boy from far away, arrives at her school, and a mysterious stray cat appears in the neighbourhood. Both the boy and the cat have secrets. Can they help Columba make sense of the changes that are happening around her? Or are there some things she may never understand?