Optimism in the Third-World (Countries)

In "Sold" by Patricia McCormick, Lakshmi, a thirteen year old girl struggling with growing up and poverty, tells her story through poetic vignettes. Lakshmi lives with her Ama, baby stepbrother, and nasty stepfather in a hut in a small village by the Himalayas. She has this beautiful ability to find the good in a situation and exploit it a little. Knowing what I know about this book, I find myself REALLY hoping that this doesn't go away.
Lakshmi had to deal with the monsoon, and even then she searched the rice-fields for any survivors. She had to deal with her "first blood", and even then thought of Krishna (the boy she has been promised off to marry without her input). Speaking of Krishna, she isn't upset that she couldn't choose her own husband. Which might not be the best for an  independent mind, but Lakshmi is the perfect balance of an independent worker, while still being a girl who needs a shoulder to lean on from time to time. She is strong (in both the physical and emotional sense), and she simply does what needs to be done, nothing more and nothing less. Plus, on the side, she gets done what she feels needs to get done.
This is an ability I greatly admire, and even envy, but don't see often. In the real world, or at least in New York City, people have two ideals of most everything: what is a liability that could be done to improve upon other things/people, or that couldn't be done and save time; and things that must be done regardless which you can put tons of effort into, or just half-hearted. I have seen many people like this, but none like Lakshmi. I have seen optimism admist strife and people on the edge of a steep fall. This amazes me, and I wish I could have more, but that's OK.
Lakshmi, to me stands for "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.". Only she is more of a "When life gives you monsoons, gamblers, sexism, hard work, poverty, and the constant presence of death, try to get a tin roof!"kind of girl. Which is just as remarkable, maybe more so. If you haven;t read, or been reading, the book then I see how that would confuse you. But it is inevitably true that Lakshmi is a hard-working optimist stricken with many issues too heavy for her bony shoulders. Yet she still deals, and for that, I appreciate her.