It began with just wanting to tell the truth. But truth-telling has a way of snowballing.

When Christa Brown first spoke out about the sexual abuse she endured in her Texas childhood church, she never imagined it would expose the ethical chasm at the core of the Southern Baptist Convention: male religious leaders so focused on institutional protection that they sacrifice the safety of children.

A book about speaking out and speaking up, Baptistland weaves together Christa's revealing story of hope amid Southern patriarchy and religious fundamentalism. You'll meet the young Christa who endures family dysfunction, the trauma of bodily desecration, and the death blows of a gaslighting church and faith community. Then you'll meet the Christa who finds her voice and rises above the limited expectations of her given culture, taking tiny step after tiny step toward a life filled with goodness.

Ultimately, Christa Brown transforms into a vivid tree of life, rooted in love, individuality, and beauty. But it was unrelenting honesty, to herself and others, that guided her to an ordinary paradise. Baptistland speaks to the power of truth-telling -- for ourselves, our relationships, and our institutions.

Baptistland is a story of abuse, brokenness, and betrayal, but more than any of these things, it is the story of resilience. -Kristin Kobes Du Mez, author of Jesus and John Wayne