Tiffanie DiDonato

Tiffanie DiDonato

Tiffanie DiDonato is a mom of two, a military wife, and a serious Starbucks addict.

Tiffanie was born with diastrophic dysplasia, a rare form of dwarfism. It’s a condition that left her with a “typical size” torso, but with abnormally short legs and arms. By the time she was in middle school, she was around only 3 foot 6 inches.

She would fantasize about being tall enough to grab something off the grocery store shelf, cook on the stove, take the trash out, and drive a car. However, just about everything was out of reach.

When she was just 8 years old, she had her first surgery to lengthen her arms and gain 4 inches of height.

Then she had the operation again at the age of 15. They ignored the recommended maximum of 4 inches; she and her doctor chose not to put a cap on her growth. This procedure helped her gain an unprecedented 10 inches, putting her all the way at 4 foot 10 inches, right on the cusp of little person status. She says that keeping a journal helped her get through such a painful process.

She’s been featured in People Magazine, Good Morning America, Allure Magazine, and she’s contributed to The New York Times blog, Motherlode.

Dwarf: A Memoir is an autobiography of grit and transformation for anybody who was told something was impossible yet went on to do it anyway. Tiffanie was born with dwarfism, with her limbs being so short that she wasn’t able to reach her own ears. But she was also born with a serious case of optimism. So she decided to undergo this series of painful bone-lengthening surgeries, which gave her an unprecedented 14 inches of height as well as some independence that she never thought she’d have.

After undergoing her surgeries, she was able to learn how to drive, live in the dorms in college, and lead a relatively normal life. She even made time for volunteering, writing to troops stationed abroad, and one of these Marine pen pals ultimately became her husband.

This book is a moving and, sometimes, funny testament to the power of sheer determination, and has been compared to Far From the Tree by Andrew Solomon.

It is about how a woman fought for a body (and a life) she was never supposed to have.

It’s okay that with Tiffanie that you picked this book up because you were curious about what it’s like to live with dwarfism. However, she hopes you’ll take away so much more about adapting to the world when it doesn’t adapt to you.

Related Authors

Fans of Tiffanie DiDonato also enjoy these authors:

1. Stephen King, author of The Dark Tower Series.
2. J.K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter Series.
3. Harlan Coben, author of the Myron Bolitar Series.
4. Charles Dickens, author of: A Christmas Carol.
5. Sue Grafton, author of the Kinsey Millhone Series.

Tiffanie DiDonato: F.A.Q