In the Little World

"Captivating. . .fascinating. . . .A compulsively readable, raw yet scholarly take on a marginalized side of humanity." -- Elle (Reader's Prize)

In 1997, almost by accident, John Richardson found himself sharing a hotel with more than a thousand dwarfs. Over the course of a single week, he begins relationships with some of the people at a convention that evolve into an affecting two-year-and-beyond odyssey into the little world.

He introduces us to characters like a saintly but obsessed doctor and a mother who sacrifices her family to save her dwarf daughter. He follows two dwarf lovers from their first meeting through their struggle to overcome fear and shame and find the confidence to love each other. He becomes personally involved in a tangled and often confrontational friendship with a female dwarf.

Through these stories and musings, ranging from classic theories of beauty to the history of the disability movement, to postmodern theories of difference, Richardson presents a world that is a skewed reflection of our own -- and offers us a glimpse into the essential human condition.

What happens when a journalist stops observing and becomes part of the story he's covering?

• Immersive Journalism: The author confronts his own prejudices and becomes entangled in the lives he's there to document, from a tangled friendship to a profound moral challenge.
• A High-Stakes Medical Journey: A mother from Australia sacrifices her family and finances to bring her daughter to America for a series of life-or-death surgeries.
• Love and Relationships: At a Little People of America convention, two dwarf lovers meet for the first time and struggle to overcome fear, shame, and community gossip to find the confidence to love.
• Identity and Difference: A raw, scholarly exploration of everything from the history of the disability movement to classic theories of beauty, forcing readers to confront their own perceptions of what is "normal."