Vermont writer Philip Galanes has penned a new novel whose main character and plot line may sound strikingly similar to most of us: a blond design mogul is sentenced to a year in prison and emerges with a renewed energy to rebuild her life and reclaim her position at the top of the heap. Galanes' new book, Emma's Table, is, in fact, loosely based on the trials and tribulations of Martha Stewart. The author admits as much.

In 2004, during an impromptu channel surfing session, he came upon Martha making her statement to the press after she had been sentenced to prison. Galanes was so struck and mezmerized by Martha's grace and strength that he simply could not shake her from his mind.

"I thought, 'Wow, that was really gutsy,'" Galanes told the Brattleboro Reformer. "In that moment, I really identified with her. ... You need to say what you need to say to yourself in order to keep going. The important thing is to keep going.

"I never took any kind of interest in Martha Stewart in my life. I didn't know anything about her. I didn't research her when writing this book. I was much more interested in trying to imagine a private life for her.

"I was very concerned that Martha Stewart would think this is a hatchet job. In fact, I got a really nice voicemail from her that she'd heard about it and wished me good luck. I wish I had been around to take the call," said Galanes.

Below is a description of the book:

From the moment Emma Sutton walks into the esteemed FitzCoopers auction house, the one-time media darling knows exactly what she wants: an exquisite antique dining table. What she doesn't realize is what she's getting: the chance to set things right.

Fresh from a year-long stretch in prison and the public bloodletting that accompanied her fall, Emma needs a clean slate. She finds her life just as she left it, filled with glittering business successes and bruising personal defeats—rolling television cameras and chauffeured limousines, followed by awkward Sunday dinners at home. She knows, deep down, that she needs a change, though she can't imagine where it might come from or where it will lead.

Enter Benjamin Blackman, a terminally charming social worker who moonlights for Emma on the weekends, and Gracie Santiago, an overweight little girl from Queens, one of Benjamin's most heartbreaking wards. Together with an eclectic supporting cast—including Emma's prodigal ex-husband, a bossy yoga teacher, and a tiny Japanese diplomat—the unlikely trio is whisked into a fleet-footed story of unforeseen circumstance and delicious opportunity, as their solitary searching for better paths leads them all, however improbably, straight to Park Avenue and the dynamic woman at the novel's center.