I just finished reading Mario Kiefer’s second book The Ordinary Doll.  I am feeling rather speechless,and if you know me, that is rare! The book centers around Luciana, one of the twelve children of Mama Fabia.  The story follows Lucianna’s life from just under 13 to age 60 plus. It is wonderfully written, well researched and a keeper for sure.

The amazing part of both The Ordinary Life and The Ordinary Doll is that nothing about them is ordinary.  The characters, who become people before your eyes, are extraordinary. They are heroes, survivors, pillars of strength and empowered with courage to say the least.

One of the points, whether intended or not, that I am taking away from these books is that the struggle of an immigrant is real.  The strength to want a better life, to risk everything to get a better life, is humbling. Any one who leaves their home with nothing, working to provide a better life for themselves and their children and manages to rise above abject poverty should be celebrated. Isn’t that the real American dream?  That here in the States you can rise above your situation for a better life? And yet, what Kiefer proves is that life is a hard, red hot mess for us all.

On an exciting note, Kiefer’s third book is in the works!  Read them all, you will never forget them.