A poignant and moving memoir-in-essays from stand-up comedian Aida Rodriguez on the power of overcoming hardship and transforming pain into laughter.
Aida Rodriguez has, to put it mildly, lived a whirlwind life. Her rags to-riches story is mind-blowing: She was kidnapped as a child by her mother in the Dominican Republic and brought to the US. She was later kidnapped again by her grandmother and uncle, and moved from New York to Florida. As an adult, she ended a difficult marriage and endured homelessness with her children in Los Angeles. But through it all she never lost her sense of humor.
Born with a wonderful wit and an irrepressible spirit, Aida used her gifts and worked tirelessly, turning tragedy and pain into biting comedy that takes on everything from misogyny and racism to social media and news headlines. She eventually released a hit HBO Max special which led to multiple development deals--success that won her a nationwide audience, opened doors, and helped her expand the way Latinos are represented in comedy.
In this, her highly anticipated first book, Aida charts her many ups and downs. From personal setbacks to career highs and everything in between, Legitimate Kid is endearing, shocking, and ultimately life-affirming.

Portrait

Aida Rodriguez is a comedian, writer, and actor--a favorite of critics and fans alike. Esquire Magazine declared of her, "This is Rodriguez's genius--using comedy to turn pain into progress, to give voice to the voiceless, and to laugh instead of cry." Aida's comedy special Fighting Words is streaming on HBO Max. She is a key collaborator on the platform's Entre Nos franchise, which features the brightest up-and-coming LatinX comedy talent. Aida was not only a breakout star of the series early in her career, she also recently stepped behind the camera to direct its current batch of specials. She is a guest writer for Buzzfeed and Oprah Daily as well as a regular commentator on The Young Turks.