5.0 out of 5 stars
Wow ! I’m not usually a memoir reader but this book grabbed me from page one. Mary and Patrick’s story is fascinating and very personal as well as a great history lesson. I loved getting the inside scoop on what it felt like to be in South Africa during such a turbulent time. It’s very well written and I am looking forward to the follow up as I want to know how the adventure continues.Mary has a compelling story to tell.
5.0 out of 5 stars
“Great read about an American woman’s journey at the end of apartheid. This is a gripping insider’s account of a moment in time. Reading this book puts you in the center of the action. Mary’s journey as a newlywed and fish out of water in the 2 years leading to the end of apartheid in South Africa is compelling. She takes you on a historical and emotional roller coaster as she shares her story of her experience in the Foreign Service and America’s role in ending apartheid.”
5.0 out of 5 stars
I totally loved this book from the very first chapter, and stayed up until the wee hours reading it. It was a compelling behind-the-scenes memoir of the author’s time spent living and working in South Africa during the years of the end of apartheid and the election of Nelson Mandela. Newly married, the author and her husband both worked for the US Embassy in Capetown, and the book covers the adjustments and excitement of being newlyweds as well as the challenges facing US government workers based in an overseas location that was going through historical changes. I laughed out loud at many of the personal stories of adjusting to marriage while at the same time learning to live in a foreign environment. As a former expat, I could really relate to many of the situations Mary Byron found herself in. However, there were many serious and hair-raising events that occurred because of the racial and cultural tensions of the time. My favorite parts of the book were the stories about what it was like to work for the US government in such a tense time. The deep concern the author had for the local people, and the hard work she and her husband undertook to protect our embassy staff (her husband was head of security) and also accommodate the traveling dignitaries and American delegations who came to visit (Mary was the communications and logistics coordinator) were fascinating to read about. The book really made me think about (and appreciate) the sacrifices our foreign diplomats go through, and I highly recommend it.
5.0 out of 5 stars South Africa Sweet & Savory
Every book club in the World should read this book!!
5.0 out of 5 stars
“I could not put the book down the weekend I got it and promptly ordered several copies for friends and family because I had to share Mary's story. An amazing blend of personal memoir amidst a political history so important to know about. The entire time I read it I could imagine a movie being made.”
Compelling Memoir with Contemporary Themes (amazon.com)
5-Star
I happened to read "No Ordinary Life" as protests in support of Black Lives Matter and social justice were taking place across the country. I can't help but think about hard-fought lessons from the past and the fragility of democracy. Reading about the lines of people who showed up to vote in South Africa's first democratic election gave me goosebumps. "No Ordinary Life" is Mary's personal recounting of an extraordinary moment in history, but it's also a timeless reminder of the privilege and duty we have to participate in our democracy given the sacrifices made to ensure its existence.
5.0 out of 5 stars
"This book gave an insider's glimpse into a piece of history that I lived through, but honestly didn't know much about. Mary Byron shares so much emotion and so many details of what it was like to be in South Africa at that time. She made this a very personal story and brought to life the dedicated people who worked behind the scenes at the American Embassy to organize everything and keep everyone safe while working toward the election. She also shed light on more than a few real-life characters who had lived with oppression for many years and allowed us to see the situation through their eyes. I highly recommend this book!"
5.0 out of 5 stars
"The energy and flow of this engrossing narrative carries a wealth of historical fact laced with human experience. I was moved by the dedication of the American emissaries and the incredible tenacity and bravery of the Africans, especially Nelson Mandela. This books opens up our world and invites us into engagement and hope.” – D. Nielsen
5.0 out of 5 stars
“Remarkable Book by a Remarkable Woman! I read No Ordinary Life for a book club with the hope that the author would join us when we met to discuss it. I was hooked into this book from the very beginning. Mary takes the reader on a very personal journey through this important, dangerous time in South Africa’s history. Having the opportunity to meet Mary and ask additional questions, was icing on the cake! She is a remarkable woman with more stories to tell.”
5.0 out of 5 stars
“Phenomenal Inspiring Book! I absolutely loved this book! It should be required reading for couples going into the Foreign Service. What an incredible true story. Bravo for Mary for rising above a very foreign difficult situation and finding tremendous success.”
5.0 out of 5 stars
“Once I started reading, I could not stop! What an adventure. I felt like I was there with Mary.”
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Book is based on journals written during the Mandela crusade to give equal rights and voting rights to South African. Mary Byron gives us a first person narrative of the day to day living in an ever changing political climate set in the poverty of the country, the beauty of nature, wild animals and the challenges of diplomatic assignments. Wonder filled read!"
“This is a beautifully written memoir. Assigned to the Embassy in South Africa during the final tension and violence filled days of apartheid, Mary and her husband were affected both personally and professionally by the events swirling around them. Writing with candor and sensitivity, Ms. Byron evokes the highs and lows of that period, the impact on her and her colleagues of constant tension and worry, and the challenges in her marriage as both she and her husband become more engrossed in their work and more deeply affected by their environment. Few memoirs have captured this interplay of the personal and the historical as well as in this work.”
5.0 out of 5 stars Gripping tale of personal experiences during an unprecedented time in history!
Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2020
The author gives a vivid account of so many amazing, suspenseful, frightening times--and puts us there to experience the hope and ultimate triumph of the South African people that she earns the right to celebrate along with them, for the role she played in that historic time.
Vince Poscente
