Dolls Behaving Badly

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.

“"Ritchie's tale of female triumph makes for a fun read."-- Publishers Weekly”

"An out-of-the-ordinary setting and cast of characters are the backbone of Ritchie's compelling debut novel...Ritchie depicts her characters' often bleak circumstances with humor and grace, and Carla makes for an atypical but eminently sympathetic heroine."-- Booklist

Cinthia Ritchie is a news editor at Alaska newspapers. She spent eight years as features writer and columnist at Anchorage Daily News and received her MFA from the University of Alaska Anchorage. DOLLS BEHAVING BADLY is Ritchie's first novel. She lives in Anchorage with her college-aged son.

A hilarious and heartwarming debut novel about a single mom living in Alaska trying to make a life for herself and her young son. Carla Richards is a lot of things. She's a waitress at Anchorage's premier dining establishment, Mexico in an Igloo; an artist who secretly makes erotic dolls for extra income; a divorcee who can't quite detach from her ex-husband; and a single mom trying to support her gifted eight-year-old son, her pregnant sister, and her babysitter-turned-resident-teenager. She's one overdue bill away from completely losing control-when inspiration strikes in the form of a TV personality. Now she's scribbling away in a diary, flirting with an anthropologist, and making appointments with a credit counselor. Still, getting her life and dreams back on track is difficult. Is perfection really within reach? Or will she wind up with something even better?

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