It's a story about a dog and her family, and it's one of Oprah Winfrey's 25 favorite of the summer.
UF creative writing professor Jill Ciment's novel "Heroic Measures" is the second book on Winfrey's annual summer reading list, which highlights Winfrey's top suggestions for summer reading.
"Heroic Measures" is the first novel to be offered as a free download to Oprah.com members.
"It's the coolest thing around," Ciment said. "I'm so jazzed that it's being offered to the two million members of her book club."
Focusing on the media and the real estate industry, Ciment's 208-page novel tells the story of the elderly Cohen couple, whose 12-year-old dachshund, Dorothy, is suddenly paralyzed in her hind legs just as the couple decides to sell their East Village apartment.
At the same time, a gas tanker truck driven by a man named Abdul jackknifes in a tunnel in what the media deem a terrorist attack.
As news of the tanker continues to grow and lower the value of their 45-year home, the Cohens must help Dorothy and face leaving their home amid a crisis.
The book, which is also on The Wall Street Journal's summer reading list, was inspired by a lost cat poster Ciment saw in New York City the day before the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Ciment said.
She said as the days went by, families posted pictures of missing loved ones near the cat poster, but they didn't cover it, she said.
"I've always been an animal lover," Ciment said, adding it took her three years to write the novel. "[Writing books is] the type of profession that you spend four or five years [on one]," she said.
Ciment said she is excited her book made Winfrey's list, and she believes Winfrey is one of the few people who can keep Americans reading.
"Oprah's doing an amazing thing," Ciment said. "She's one of the few people to keep book reading alive. [She] fills a void in a culture that doesn't really have any books."
Ciment said she is excited to be a part a new electronic age, where electronic books could become the norm.
"I'm excited to be a part of that," she said. "It's every writer's dream."
"Heroic Measures" will be offered on Winfrey's Web site until 10:59 p.m. on Wednesday.
Ciment began her book tour earlier this month and hopes to finish by August.
UF English professor Mary Robison also has a book featured on Winfrey's list but could not be reached for comment.
Her book, "One D.O.A, One on the Way," was 18th on the list and is a story about a movie scout in post-Katrina New Orleans.
