"Nicolai relates what she experienced from 1988 to 2014 as she traveled to developing European countries to help the OSCE/PAE create new democracies. Lois's decision to move to Princeton to become actively involved in International Relations and Peacemaking and contribute toward building a safer and better world led to a transformative experience worth sharing. From being guarded by soldiers with guns in perilous, war-torn countries to seeing the horror of the Srebrenica massacre in the eyes of the survivors and dealing with mosquitoes, heat, and other inconveniences, the story is filled with memorable and challenging experiences. The book also includes essays from ten of Lois's democracy-building colleagues, who tell their stories in the second book in her memoir trilogy.

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That Lois Ann Nicolai decided to take on a challenging goal and impact the world positively is a message to all that they can contribute to the world and achieve important goals at any age. It's quite inspiring how much the author sacrificed to help create a better world: having to deal with financial challenges, being distant from her family for long periods, and leaving the comfort and safety of her home. The combination of Lois's narration of her personal challenges (including losing loved ones to addiction), the stories of the different beautiful souls she met, and the political and social information about the places she visited results in an intriguing, educative, and poignant memoir. Ordinary People, Extraordinary Elections is recommended as we all need to know and care about the plights of both our close and distant siblings in our global human family."

 

Review Rating: 5 Stars 

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