'I thought my family was complicated until I read Chrysta Bilton's wonderful memoir about the unique collection of irresistible characters in her life. Bilton has a big heart gentle wisdom keen eye and lovely wit. She's a gifted writer with an astonishing story to tell.' -David Sheff author of Beautiful Boy
'By turns hilarious wrenching and achingly tender... Bilton writes beautifully with sharp insight and a light touch about her harrowing astonishing journey into understanding her parents her (very) extended family and herself.' - Susan Orlean New York Times bestselling author of On Animals and Rin Tin Tin
For most of her life Chrysta Bilton was one member of a small if dysfunctional family of four. There was her sister Kaitlyn her hedonistic glamorous gay mum Debra and Jeffrey who Debra hand-picked in an LA hairdressers to be the father of her children. During Chrysta's unstable childhood Debra struggled to keep the family afloat and Jeffrey wandered in and out of their lives.
Then in her twenties Chrysta discovered that her father had secretly donated his sperm over 500 times - and that she had at least 35 other siblings.
A Normal Family is a captivating coming-of-age memoir about Chrysta's reckoning with the secrets both parents had carefully kept from her. Heartfelt warm and funny it's a story of embracing the family we have in all the forms we find it.
Melissa Hogenboom
Bazelon Lara
Joshua Coleman
Sopp Kelly
Calvin Roberson
Catherine Jessop
Norman Lazarus
Hughes Alison
Amber Elliott
Nicola Kendall
Lyssa Kay
Melinda Wenner Moyer
Martha Stout
Jordan Shapiro
Gregg Behr
Gregoire Delacourt
Libby Page
Christina Jones
Karen J Taylor
Daniel Smith
Karl Pillemer
Claire Russell
Logan Ury
Michaela Thomas
Beverly Engel
Peter Cartwright
Zoë Clark-Coates
Julien Sandrel
Julien Sandrel
Annie O'Neil
Zoe Clark-Coates
Anna Jefferson
Hannah Richell
Carys Jones
Michael Hebb
Jason Hazeley
Jason Hazeley
John Palfrey
Alex Hart
Robin Morgan-Bentley
Neil Sinclair
Fiona Marshall
Maggie Hartley
Julia L. Mayer
Molly Howes
Rhik Samadder
Carla Naumburg
Lexie Sutton
Maria Quiban
Julia Bueno
Meghan Cox
Sarah Ockwell-Smith
Ryan Manion
Juno Roche
Cleopatra Valentine
Rob Parsons
Rob Parsons
Rob Parsons
Dr. Lynelle Schneeberg
Marc Brackett
Inti Chavez Perez
Michelle Gage
Jin Xiaojing
Helen Whitaker
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Greg Behrendt
Amy Nickell
Mary Grant
Audrey Monke
Dean Sanderson
Elder Robert
Helen Wallen
Diana Kirschner
Donaghue Chris
Thomas Moore Joy
Shefali Tsabary
Thurow Roger
Kenneth Paul Rosenberg
Juno Roche
Greenberg Lauren
Lawler Kara
Olinka Vistica
Johanna Stein
Dorcas Cheng-Tozun
Mark Merrill
Mark Merrill
Chinese Health Qigong Association
Corinne Fisher
Roger Thurow
Sarah Norris
Jo Green
Henry Fersko-Weiss
Rosie Bray
Steven Pantilat
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Bo Hejlskov
Kenneth Sanderfer
Bella James
Alan Schwarz
Kirsti Evans
Meacham Leila
Tracy Schorn
Leila Meacham
Kelley Paul
Karen Valentin
Trevor Silvester
Wyckoff Jerry
Whoopi Goldberg
Running Press
Jessica Lahey
Geist Bill
Rob Parsons
Kelley Paul
Ruurs Margriet
Jenny Hare
Letty Cottin Pogrebin
Timothy Keller
Donna Freitas
Margot Anand
Carlson Kristine
Buzzeo Toni
Meg Hutchinson
Carolyn Evans
Margaret Pegi Price
Metz Julie
Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall
Diana Kirschner
Virginie Raguenaud
Emma Cook
Michael Losier
Joel Osteen
Nina Grunfeld
Ellen Fein
Yvonne Roberts
Martin L. Kutscher
Kerrin Jessica
Gretchen Becker
Cara Familian Natterson
Natalie Madorsky Elman
Maxine Aston
Matthew Taylor
Anneli Rufus
Gisela Slater-Walker
Phillip Mcgraw
Phillip Mcgraw
Rhonda Findling
Tom Hirschfeld
Paul D. Tieger
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