by: Christa Armstead

A secret shame. A powerful longing. A search for belonging.

In these pages you will read the powerful true story of one woman's lifelong search for identity and love. The illegitimate daughter of a Catholic priest and an African- American teen, Christa Armstead struggled against poverty, prejudice, and rejection from her father growing up in inner-city LA. Finding the strength to thrive, Christa Armstead persevered.

Christa shares her journey with honesty and vulnerability. It will resonate with anyone who has ever felt like they didn't fit in and struggled to find their place in the world. Those who have experienced hardship, trauma, abandonment, or abuse will be pointed to the depth of God's love for them and find hope.

This book is indeed a must-read! Christa Armstead's story is a missing puzzle piece of healing, empowerment, and transformation that will fill a space many carry within their souls. Through her deep transparency she provides a road map for moving from pain to purpose, from trauma to testimony, and from isolation to empowerment. Let this book bless you through whatever challenges you're facing. -Dr. Efrem Smith, author of Killing Us Softly and The Post Black and Post White Church, co-lead pastor of Midtown Church

Illegitimate is the journey many have started, and some have accomplished. Illegitimate is more than a search-and-discover mission, it answers many plights that have attacked and ravaged the nation and the world. This wonderful, heart-wrenching, and moving truth-journal addresses the unspoken truths of the damage and residue of pain and suffering that the clergy scandal does not want to address. -Rev. Earl A. Smith, Sr., team pastor, San Francisco 49ers and Golden State Warriors, and author of Death Row Chaplain: Unbelievable True Story from America's Most Notorious Prison