Everyday world savers

In response to me last post, al_zorra asked for examples of fantasy/SF books in which the world is saved, but by someone who is not a Special One–which I take to mean, not Chosen, not possessing powers unusual for her kind, not possessed with Special Abilities or anything else that make her marked for greatness or but her above and beyond what can be expected of the mere mortals around her.

I came up with a few examples, though perhaps fewer than I expected:

– Into the Wild, by Sarah Beth Durst (The heroine is Rapunzel’s daughter, but all that gives her is more knowledge than most of how fairy tales work, and no magic powers whatsoever.)

– The Homeward Bounders, by Diana Wynne Jones (the more I think about it, the more this one is a really good example)

– Enchantress from the Stars, by Sylvia Engdahl

– Siberia, by Ann Halam

– And Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, of course. One of the first, best examples of a non-special, non-chosen character saving the world.

Other examples that you all can think of?