“Borrero is by turns funny and gut-wrenching, doggedly keeping the proceedings from tipping into melodrama even when the emotional terrain gets gnarly. Readers will be captivated by this always inspiring, sometimes shattering story of self-discovery.”

— Publisher’s weekly

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.

“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

About Miles

I’m a trans, Latinx yoga teacher, writer, and musician who transitioned at the age of 40. Before that, I’d spent most of my life trying to live by someone else’s rules…only to realize, when my dad was dying, that I was not truly living. The funny thing is, as an artist and teacher, I’d dedicated myself to helping others live their lives to the fullest but had not granted myself the same courtesy. Sometimes, our lessons are hard-won.

Lauren Patten, Tony & Grammy Award winning actor and singer (Jagged Little Pill)

—Lauren Patten
Tony and Grammy Award winning actor and singer (Jagged Little Pill)

“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.” 

Want to know what books I’d recommend?

“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