Description

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A breathtaking, exquisitely crafted memoir about a trans person’s singular journey through breaching the boundaries of gender—across generations, cultures and borders—to become his truest, most authentic self.

Nearing the age of forty, with an entire life already lived as a woman—half in Colombia, half in the US—Miles Borrero comes face to face with his father’s impending death. Suddenly realizing that he has been stalling his transition for fear of losing his family’s love, this moment catalyzes Miles’s determination to be fully known as his father’s son before it is too late.

In Beautiful Monster, Miles chronicles his unusual childhood, by turns riveting and hilarious, in ’80s and ’90s Colombia during the Pablo Escobar years, as well as his move to Salt Lake City to pursue acting and the winding trajectory that eventually lands him in the New York City yoga scene. Within these very different cultures, the realities of being queer and trans echo poignantly through the triumphs, heartbreaks, family dynamics, spiritual pursuits, and relationships that propel Miles along his path.

Sublimely nuanced and written in ravishing prose that is as unique and irresistible as its subject, Beautiful Monster is one person’s story of navigating the pressures to perform femininity while becoming a gender outlaw. Brimming with wonder, humor, and mythos, entertaining and enlightening in equal measure, this book offers a compelling case for embracing one’s true nature.

About the Author

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Throughout his many lives, Miles Borrero has survived fronting a Latin rock band, riding horses competitively, acting on various stages across the US, and nannying a six-year-old. He has been Catholic, Jewish, and a frequent guest at Krishna’s house, and has lived life as a boy, a girl, a woman, a man, and something in between. Now a senior yoga teacher who leads retreats all over the world, Miles is passionate about dismantling the systems within ourselves that keep us small. He lives in New York with his sweetheart and their two adorable dogs.

Praise For…

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“Miles’ storytelling shows us just how intricately the mundane and the divine are connected. Through his poetry and prose, Miles harnesses a transformative power—a power that brings his deepest truths to the light. This memoir is a gift to any reader who wants to truly know themselves, and wants to truly be known.” 
— Lauren Patten, Tony and Grammy Award winning actor and singer (Jagged Little Pill)

“Miles Borrero gifts us his universal story with grace and a huge, lyrical heart. A roadmap for anyone seeking self-knowledge.”
— Ty Burrell, award-winning actor who starred in ABC’s critically acclaimed hit Modern Family

“Beautiful Monster is like a big, queer hug. Exactly what the world needs.”
— Kathryn Budig, author and founder of Haus of Phoenix

“Spell-bound from the first page to the last, I laughed, cried, and deeply resonated with every twist and turn in this expansive and magical tale. Miles Borrero truly touched my heart.” 
— Stephanie Szostak, actress (A Million Little Things) and author of Self!sh

“An enthralling read, beautifully written, that offers an insider’s view into the inner workings of growing up queer and trans in a straight world. Simply a must-read.”
— Cameron Esposito, standup comic, bestselling author

“Magic realism is, thankfully, still alive, and Miles Borrero uses his literary lineage to tell the compelling story of his own becoming. In Beautiful Monster, he artfully describes the ubiquitous anxiety, like Poe’s thumping heart under the floorboards, that comes from hiding one’s true self from his loved ones, from the world, and most poignantly—from his own culture. It’s a gift to be shepherded through this process with such deftness, humor, and pathos.”
— Alexandra Auder, author of Don’t Call Me Home

“This poetic memoir follows the author as a child growing up in Colombia through his adult transition into manhood…. Full of magical realism, Borrero brings readers along on his emotional journey back to himself.”
— BOOKLIST

“Borerro’s incandescent debut memoir…is by turns funny and gut-wrenching.… Readers will be captivated by this always inspiring, sometimes shattering story of self-discovery.”
— Publishers Weekly