In this award-winning book, The Nine Lives of Romeo Crumb: Life One, the secret world of cats is revealed in an epic tale of feline civil war starting with young Romeo, a stray who finds himself battered between two very different worlds. It’s the domestic cats, the Sticks, against the street cats, the Alleys. As battle lines are drawn, warriors train for combat and a hero emerges to inspire a nation. The book also includes many original black and white drawings by artist/illustrator Kurt Hartman, including ten full-page illustrations.

As Romeo takes the first breath of his second life, memories of the brutal battle between the Sticks and the Alleys have left him scarred. Facing the reality that Fidel savagely killed his beloved Queen Elizabeth fills him with revenge. The Sticks throw themselves into combat training in preparation for the next battle, but the Alleys have something else in mind. They attack the Factory and kidnap Twinkle Toes. Or has Twinkle Toes turned traitor? Romeo knows it is up to him to save everyone, but how? And so starts his dangerous journey to become the hero he was meant to be.

Awakening scared and confused from his second death, Romeo finds himself in the deepest, most forbidden place there is, Vent City. Falling into immediate peril, a stranger plucks him to safety only to reveal himself as a long, lost relative. After reluctantly meeting the gruesome Vent City mutants and hearing their heart-wrenching story, they band together to finally get their just revenge from the viscous Alleys who have taken control of the Factory. But a crushing illness threatens to end it all for Romeo, ultimately taking him away from his beloved Dennis forever. Will Romeo's third life be spared in time to face Fidel and bring the Factory back to its rightful owners? Or will the Alleys win again?

With the monstrous Fidel gone from their lives, the Sticks have flourished like never before. But the good times are short lived as a new enemy emerges. Scores of angry, mutant rats drive Romeo to his mental limit, spinning him into a state of delirium. He must meet the rats' unjust demands or face the consequences. Will a series of haunting and dangerous events stand in his way, or will Romeo triumph over evil once again?

Life Five finds Romeo and friends taking the train west to escape the horrors of the city. They end up finding more adventures than they could have ever imagined including mysterious snowmen. As always, Romeo loses his fifth life, but he will be back to live again in Life Six.

Romeo's adventures outside the city have failed in the worst possible way leaving him grossly disfigured. In spite of his tragic misfortune, Romeo is eager to begin again only to return to a city he doesn't recognize, and more distressing, a city that doesn’t recognize him. In a bizarre twist of fate, Romeo finds his only refuge living life as an alley cat in the dreaded Fourth Corner. With a new name and identity, Romeo wonders just how long it will be before Fidel realizes who he really is.

With Fidel imprisoned by the Sticks in an old, rundown theater, the Alleys plan to free their leader and restore him to his evil throne. Among them is Romeo, living under the alter ego, Grim, the newest member of the Silent Five. Because of a clash of personalities, Grim is ultimately forced out of the Fourth Corner by Bait. Along with his only friend, Miles, he takes refuge with Terrence, a cat who lives in the filthy, cluttered home of a human hoarder. With Terrence's help, Grim plans to redeem himself to the Alleys by rescuing Fidel. Despite his better judgment, he feels up to the challenge and hopeful that his former Stick friends will not guess his true identity. Will Romeo commit the ultimate sin and free Fidel, or is he hatching something much more devious and cunning for his archenemy?

In Life Eight we find that the scarred Alley named Grim, is actually Romeo. His horrible injuries have disguised him to most, but his true identity is known to a few. After a deadly hailstorm ravages the already devastated city, Grim unbelievably finds himself at Dennis' hospital bedside. Having suffered a serious head injury, Dennis' future is unknown. Soon, Grim learns that Fidel, evil leader of the Alleys, has vowed revenge on the Sticks, who had kept him imprisoned in their new Stick School, the abandoned Hope Street Theater. As Grim/Romeo deals with his identity crisis, an interesting opportunity presents itself. He can board an airplane headed west and leave all the mayhem and indecision far behind. Will Grim/Romeo stay in the city to warn the Sticks of Fidel's threat? Or will he fly to the sunny utopia so many Sticks dream of, even if it means never seeing Dennis again?

THE NINE LIVES OF ROMEO CRUMB-LIFE NINE deals with Romeo’s final life and how he manages to make amends and restore old friendships. It also brings him face to face one last time with his lifelong enemy. Romeo’s final good-bye is dealt with compassionately and sensitively.