Heroic Measures (English)

Jill Ciment's third novel examines how huge social catastrophes can be easily eclipsed by seemingly less significant personal problems. During the course of a single weekend, Ruth and Alex Cohen, an elderly New York couple, prepare for an open house as they try to sell the apartment where they have lived for almost 50 years. Meanwhile, the rest of the city is panic-stricken when a gasoline truck gets mysteriously stuck in the Midtown tunnel, triggering fears of a terrorist attack. But the worst is yet to come--the Cohens' beloved dachshund, Dorothy, suffers partial paralysis after a seizure and has to be left alone at the veterinary clinic while the couple attends to their open house. With the real estate market plummeting due to the alleged attack, the Cohens fend off apartment hunters bent on finding a bargain and wait on edge to hear about their sick pet. Ciment deftly weaves news reports, rumors, "expert" analysis, gossip, and intuition to show how her characters seek and acquire the information that they feel will help them negotiate life's most immediate obstacles. minimize