Ordinary People, Extraordinary Elections: A Memoir of International Democracy Builders is a work of non-fiction in the memoir subgenre and serves as the second installment in the Ordinary People Trilogy. It is suitable for the general reading audience and was penned by author Lois Ann Nicolai. Set during the fall of communism and the immediate aftermath, the book recalls the author’s time working in former Soviet Bloc countries to establish democratically elected leadership. Including accounts from ten of the author's colleagues who participated in the process in various countries, the book gives an account of the rise of democracy in the late 20th century.

This was one of the most fascinating books I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing for this site, covering in detail an aspect of 20th-century European history that often gets neglected despite its clear and important relevance to modern-day politics. The stories of the people of the former Soviet Bloc tentatively stepping out from the shadow of communism and toward their first democratic elections in a lifetime – and sometimes their first-ever – are beautifully told in this memoir which celebrates not just democracy but the people who participate in it. Lois Ann Nicolai’s first-hand accounting of the struggles and fears surrounding these changes across several nations is heartfelt but constantly underpinned by the factual setting. It manages to emphasize the emotional aspect of the regime change without ever straying into the brand of romanticism that would devalue Ordinary People, Extraordinary Elections as an important educational tool in the discussion about international politics and civics.

In Ordinary People, Extraordinary Elections, Lois Ann 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.

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.