Publisher's Synopsis
Carla Richards is a lot of things: a weary waitress at Anchorage's premiere dining establishment, Mexico in an Igloo; an aspiring artist who secretly makes erotic dolls for the extra income; a divorcee who can't quite detach from her ex-husband; and a stressed-out single mom trying to support her gifted eight-year-old son Jay-Jay, her pregnant sister Laurel, and her babysitter-turned-resident-teenager Stephanie.
One afternoon, surrounded by bills she can't afford to pay, Carla finds inspiration and hope in the form of the "Oprah Giant" --- an unusually tall woman who directs Oprah's viewers to keep a diary and to commit themselves to paper every single day. "Your thoughts are gold -- hold them up to the light and they shine," she instructs. As Carla begins following the "Oprah Giant's" advice, she soon realizes her life is filled with more potential and possibility than she ever dared to imagine. Her finances, her art career, and even her love life begin to improve. Yes, her sister might still be crazy and the occasional moose might still tear up the yard, but that's okay. Perfection is overrated. And as long as she has her family, friends and her Polish grandmother's traditional recipes, she has everything she needs to be happy.
