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The Ordinary Life: Ordinary Lives. Extraordinary People.

Mario Kiefer (Goodreads Author)

4.43 · Rating details · 21 ratings · 14 reviews

A work of literary fiction based on true events that follows the lives of three ordinary people:

Born into a migrant family, Lucia worked the fields and witnessed first-hand hardship and abuse. When she moved into the rancher's home, she met and later married his son. After all, white men don't beat their wives. How was she to know?

Blinded by the love he had for his fat ...more

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Kindle Edition, 324 pages

Published November 17th 2017

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Mar 20, 2018 Moná rated it it was amazing

Life is what you make it and sometimes people can only make it into something based on the amount of knowledge and know how they possess. Generation after generation was given the chance to do a complete 360 degrees and not turn out like our parents, but somewhere we’ve fallen short and ended up fulfilling that nightmare. Every several years there’s a shift that occurs where things are never the same, we’re left to reminisce about our favorite moments of life. At the same time, we must also embr Life is what you make it and sometimes people can only make it into something based on the amount of knowledge and know how they possess. Generation after generation was given the chance to do a complete 360 degrees and not turn out like our parents, but somewhere we’ve fallen short and ended up fulfilling that nightmare. Every several years there’s a shift that occurs where things are never the same, we’re left to reminisce about our favorite moments of life. At the same time, we must also embrace these changes if we hope to survive through it and discovering more about our possible future. What our parents and grandparents have done was paved a way for the newer generations that will get their chance to shine and live. Unfortunately, many of us can’t seem to find our own way but decide to follow in footsteps we know.

In “The Ordinary Life,” author Mario Kiefer shares the life of a family from one generation and their children. The readers are viewing each of their lives, struggles, ups and downs, and follow along with their individual journeys from their perspectives. Learning about Lucia’s parents, how they raised her and what she did as a child to start on her own path. It was interesting to witness as one child from every generation started a new chain reaction because every choice made the start of something new. Of course, there were moments when struggle, hard manual labor, raising a large number of children, to then still have a way for at least one child to become successful, rising above the poor living conditions.

I learned about what life has been like for those from other cultural backgrounds, I can say that despite how their lives were they made the very best of their situation. Resilience, strength, bravery, and the will to instill that their children would do better in the coming years than they had proved that some parents would do anything for their future bloodline. I enjoyed learning about each character, overshadowing as they go through tough times and experiences. I highly recommend this book to those who want an idea of how ordinary life can be. ...more

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Aug 29, 2019 Nan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Has your life been easy or difficult?

Reading about the lives of the characters in this book entitled, “The Ordinary Life: Ordinary Lives. Extraordinary People” by Mario Kiefer might just help you decide.

The book begins in the year 1905 in Sicily, Italy. Corrado’s family is being sought out by the Mafioso for leaking important information to the leaders in Rome. Corrado’s father sends him to Napoli to stay with family before boarding a ship to America. Corrado lives near El Paso, TX and serves un Has your life been easy or difficult?

Reading about the lives of the characters in this book entitled, “The Ordinary Life: Ordinary Lives. Extraordinary People” by Mario Kiefer might just help you decide.

The book begins in the year 1905 in Sicily, Italy. Corrado’s family is being sought out by the Mafioso for leaking important information to the leaders in Rome. Corrado’s father sends him to Napoli to stay with family before boarding a ship to America. Corrado lives near El Paso, TX and serves under General John J. Pershing who later becomes famous during WWI. Corrado meets Violeta. Violeta works in the fields and has 18 children with Corrado. She dies at the age of 54.

Their child, Fabia meets a boy named Jesus and they have 12 children, “to have lots of help in the fields”, between 1946 and 1961. He has a drinking problem and was abusive.

Their child Lucia marries a young man named Rand because she thought he would treat her well, but she was wrong. They had three children: Julian, Mateo and Valentina.

In the late 1960’s, women started “taking charge of their lives.” Therefore, in 1969, Lucia stood up to her husband, Rand, to protect her children. “She resolved that she would be strong. She would protect her children and herself. She would raise her children to be strong; she would raise them to be gentlemen, to treat women with respect.”

Lucia leaves Rand. She marries an older man named Gerald. She has a child named Timothy. Gerald passes away. She then later marries Donald.

Lucia is a strong woman and she teaches her children to be strong and to try to make the right choices in their lives.

The book also follows Lucia’s children, mostly Mateo’s life and the challenges he has faced since childhood and into his adult life.

This book gives information along with the challenges that the characters are facing. It also gives the thoughts and wisdom of Lucia which is valuable.

“All of life is a balance, it seems. The good cannot exist without the bad and the bad cannot exist without the good. And when God takes with one hand, He gives with the other.”

Teens and adults only.

...more

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Sep 03, 2019 Mrs. Varela rated it it was amazing

Author Mario Kiefer writes a thought-provoking piece of fiction based on true events following four generations of a mixed Mexican family. In Ordinary Life: Ordinary Lives. Ordinary People. readers first meet Corrado who immigrated from Italy to the United States in the early 1900’s. On a Texas farm he meets and falls for a young Mexican woman named Violeta and they marry. Their marriage isn’t a happy one.They raise a strong-willed Fabia who learned to do grueling migrant farm work just like her Author Mario Kiefer writes a thought-provoking piece of fiction based on true events following four generations of a mixed Mexican family. In Ordinary Life: Ordinary Lives. Ordinary People. readers first meet Corrado who immigrated from Italy to the United States in the early 1900’s. On a Texas farm he meets and falls for a young Mexican woman named Violeta and they marry. Their marriage isn’t a happy one.They raise a strong-willed Fabia who learned to do grueling migrant farm work just like her mother. When she becomes pregnant at fifteen years old her mother demands that she marry Jesus who also worked the farms. Fabia’s marriage is much like her mother’s. Bearing the pain of an abusive marriage. Someone must break the cycle.

The main characters of the story are Fabia’s daughter Lucia and her children. Lucia was chosen to leave farm work and become a worker in the “big house” where she began to see how the other half lived. When the bosses’ son shows and interest in her sees an opportunity at a better life by marrying a white man. Ironically, her life becomes like the women before her where she is in an abusive marriage, but what else can she do? She takes the abuse and gives him children. She maintains a "so what" attitude and rears her children to understand that if you make a mistake, "do it again, so you will learn not to do". Julian and Mateo are close in age, but in each other’s minds they are nothing alike. Little do they know the secrets they hold should have bonded them for life by their intertwined experiences throughout their childhoods.

The women in this story are strong. As in any culture, they push through so that their offspring can better lives than themselves. Lucia instills that same strength in her boys. Throughout the book there are nuggets of Lucia’s firm handed wisdom that might draw a smile. Not only that, Kiefer takes the time to share historical events and facts which I found very interesting. This story is a great read for fans of literary or historical fiction. ...more

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Jun 27, 2019 Liz Melton rated it it was amazing

The ordinary life; extraordinary story

The ordinary life: ordinary lives. Extraordinary people. By Mario Keifer showed the lives of a family through generations. This story was very interesting and educational. “The Ordinary Life” book weaves together a tale of how a few small choices changed lives and how everything comes together for a reason. WARNING FROM THIS POINT ON IN MY REVIEW THERE WILL BE SPOILERS however I will NOT spoil the whole book it’s too good! As the book begins you meet severa ...more

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Apr 16, 2019 Ryan McCoin rated it really liked it

Family Matters

“The Ordinary Life: Ordinary Lives. Extraordinary People.” By Mario Kiefer is a historical fiction that uses real, historical events and periods to provide a setting for the author and inform the fictional narrative. This story focuses on a family of immigrants descended from mixed Mexican and Italian immigrant heritage and the struggles they faced going through life in America. The author moves through the perspectives of the three main characters Lucia, Julian, and Mateo by cyc ...more

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Apr 18, 2020 Sonja McGiboney added it

The Ordinary Life is a thought provoking, fast paced memoir of a family. Mario Kiefer combines historical notes with a family narrative in a way that brings the family’s stories, thrills and fears to life. The plot focuses on two things. The first is the struggles of the individuals with their own self esteem and sexuality. The second is the relationships between parent and child, the individual and society and their relationship, or lack of, with God.
The book spans the years 1905 to 2011. It ...more

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Sep 26, 2018 Melinda H rated it it was amazing

If This Is Us started in the early 1900’s

This beautifully and poetically written story will make you laugh. It will make you cry. It will break your heart. You follow Corrado and Violetas family through multi generational stories. The tidbits about history and the struggles of specific moments in time we're a nice touch. It made the story insightful and intriguing. It definitely lead me on a few Google searches for more information. While the history and the layout and the grammar of the book we ...more

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Aug 30, 2019 Kim Graham rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: dog-eared

What else could they do?

As Dr. Phil says, "no matter how flat you make a pancake, there are always two sides." This is a perfect analogy for this book. The story follows three family members through life changing events including divorce, death, and abuse and how each person's experience influences their lives, their choices, and their views of each other. The story begins with the marriage of two immigrants, one Italian and one Mexican in Texas and follows the family as it expands. The meat of ...more

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May 13, 2020 the-librarian rated it it was amazing

This book is a part of a series. I read one of the follow-ups to this novel a while ago (The Ordinary Sin). I enjoyed that one so much I decided to give this one a go. I’m glad that I did.

Like the last book I read in the series, this story is rich with detail and drama and has the intensity that can only be found in long-term, familial relationships. The characters are not just props in this story and feel fully-formed. The plot is not difficult to follow but in no way is it ever boring.

Lucia an ...more

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May 17, 2020 Joanne Bilodeau rated it it was amazing

I like that the author put a little bit of backstory type of history at the beginning, I always like books that do that, to me, it is very interesting and i love books with a little historic stuff in it. It was sad that Corrado lost his father with such brutality. I liked the very descriptive information Corrado told the readers about his time in the U.S. Army and his part in the battles he fought. Some of the book reminded me of the life I had and have had in the past. It gave me chills when I ...more

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Jan 28, 2019 Jennie Rosenblum rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Is anyone ordinary? While this book says it follows the lives of three ordinary people, I believe that ordinary is like normal – it all depends on your perspective. Normal is a state of mind, and the same could be said for ordinary. Having read the second book by this author Ordinary Doll and was blown away, I really looked forward to reading this, his first book.

What I found engaging about the book was the different views of the same events from the three main characters in the book. It can ...more

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Jun 24, 2019 Sue rated it it was amazing

Something special

The Ordinary Life, by Mario Kiefer says it is a fiction book based on real events that follows the lives if ordinary people. But as you read you quickly perceive the irony of the title as the characters lives are not ordinary. Or not ordinary in the sense of how one might consider an uneventful life. I think the author wants us to observe and see that everyone's life is meaningful and great in it's own way. We are all shaped by the events that make us and everyone has hardships, ...more

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Feb 21, 2019 Julia Walker rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Kiefer takes you on the roller coaster of life with all of its ups and downs, twists and turns, joys and tears. Sometimes it is hard to even read and yet there is an underlying current of hope that never ends. Beginning with the families first immigrants into the States in the 1800’s, this book takes you on a historical journey of one family from Mexico up into 2017. Working as itinerant farmers, having large families to help out with the work, moving from place to place until one day, one of th ...more

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Jan 19, 2019 Mary Scott rated it really liked it

Must Read

There is much wisdom and truth in this story. The ending was unexpected but appropriate, and it is a fun way to review history from my own lifetime, as well as before. The story relates how the times impacted people specifically. One of the most enjoyable parts is how you see the same events from different perspectives: mother, oldest brother, and 2nd born. The insights from Mama Lucia and Mateo could teach a psychology, sociology or philosophy class.

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