The House of Impossible Beauties
Joseph Cassara
This rampantly beautiful and technicoloured book follows a group of Queer friends all gay and transgender clubkids as they navigate the Harlem ballroom scene of the 1980s, inspired by ‘House of Xtravaganza’ of Paris Is Burning fame.
The plot follows 17yr old Angel first comes into her own on the New York ballroom scene, part drag, part performance, all creative fire and talent, scarred by her past and throbbing with energy, Angel is new to the drag world, and has a yearning to help create a new family She falls in love with Hector, a beauty who dreams of becoming a dancer, the two form the House of Xtravaganza, the first Latino house in the ballroom circuit.
Venus, a whip-smart trans girl who dreams of finding a rich man; Juanito, a quiet boy who loves design; and Daniel, a butch queen who accidentally saves Venus’ life all join the house and The Xtravaganzas must navigate sex work, addiction and abuse, leaning on each other as bulwarks against a world that resists them. All are ambitious, resilient and determined to control their own fates, as they hurtle toward devastating consequences. This story brims with wit, rage, tenderness, and fierce yearning; The House of Impossible Beauties is a tragic story of love, family, and the dynamism of the human spirit.
Delicious, divine and full of dark delights and an utterly stunning book which will leave its mark on you. If you’re a RuPaul or Drag Race fan you need to read this book now.
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