This summer, David Wroblewski got the phone call every writer dreams about: Oprah Winfrey was on the line to chat about The Story of Edgar Sawtelle, his debut novel about a mute Wisconsin boy and his dog.

"We talked about the book and her dog Sophie — her 'once-in-a-lifetime' dog," Wroblewski tells USA TODAY. (Winfrey's beloved cocker spaniel died this year.) Friday, Winfrey announced Sawtelle as her latest book club pick. "I think this book is right up there with the greatest American novels ever written," declared Winfrey, who will host a live webcast with Wroblewski. Published June 10 with a first printing of 26,000 copies, the book has 1.25 million in print, thanks to an infusion of 945,000 Oprah's Book Club edition copies.