The House of Impossible Beauties

It's 1980 in New York City, and nowhere is the city's glamour and energy better reflected than in the burgeoning Harlem ball scene. Seventeen-year-old Angel, burned by a traumatic past, comes into her own in the drag world and falls in love with a beautiful young dancer named Hector. The two establish the groundbreaking all-Latino House of Xtravaganza?but when Hector dies of AIDS-related complications, Angel must tend to their house alone.As mother of the house, Angel helps the Xtravaganzas navigate sex work, addiction, and persistent abuse in a world that resists them. All are ambitious, resilient, and determined to control their own fates, even as they hurtle toward devastating consequences.Taking inspiration from the real House of Xtravaganza, made famous by the documentary Paris Is Burning, Joseph Cassara has crafted a gritty and gorgeous debut. Told in a voice that 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.