Life is Short by Jennifer Arnold, MD, & Bill Klein

Synopsis:  Humble beginnings of the charismatic couple featured on TLC’s The Little Couple

Writing Style: Straightforward alternating stories from Jen (Arnold) Klein and Bill Klein.

Pacing: Fast.

Personal Highlights: Plain and simple, I fell head over heels in love with this memoir; the perfect go-to book for healthy doses of inspiration and information about Spondyloepiphyseal (Skeletal) Dysplasia.

Both Jen and Bill, in tagging fashion, share parts about their entry into this world, their family, challenges they faced being short people, and (in leaps and bounds... no pun intended) their successes and achievements.

It was surprising to learn how little was known in medical communities (in the 70’s) about skeletal dysplasia. Much praise is due to Dr. Kopits, one of very few, if not the only doctor who specialized in the field at the time.

One truly interesting aspect about Jen and Bill’s stories was how their experiences were both unique and then similar. At times I found myself rereading paragraphs, forgetting which one was narrating. This seemed due to the ‘clean’ editing, because not only did they have different dysplasia’s but their support systems differed. Their personalities contrasted some too, albeit in complimenting ways. I found myself touched to tears about Jen’s ‘getting hooded’ after completing medical school, along with her pioneering passion fielding medical simulation...a vital area of medicine that saves and enhances lives. I honestly saw her mirroring in a surreal way her savior Dr. Kopits. And Bill, I was just flooded with emotion reading his experiences. His outlook on life, like Jen, is inspiring, and I loved his humor. It touched me to the core reading about his interview with Michael at Triad Medical, Inc.

The tears, happy tears, didn’t stop there. Their wedding swelled me up again... which was another interesting irony. I found myself anxiously turning pages in anticipation of how the two would ‘eventually’ meet. Nicely done. Very nicely done. Turned out to be well worth the wait. Their courtship, especially the way Jen spelled things out, was a courtship that any true romantic would dream of experiencing. B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L. Gosh, that was so beautiful.

Overall, it took a day to read this memoir, but I could go on forever. There is so much to learn, to like, to love, to laugh at, and that much more to be humbled and inspired by reading ‘Life is Short.’ Simply, A Must! Highly recommended.