The most beautiful : my life with Prince

by Mayte Garcia

Paper Book, 2017

Status

Available

Publication

New York : Hachette Books, 2017.

Description

Biography & Autobiography. Nonfiction. HTML:At the one-year anniversary of his death, legendary musician Prince's first wife shares a uniquely intimate, candid, and revelatory look inside the personal and professional life of one of the world's most beloved icons. In The Most Beautiful, a title inspired by the hit song Prince wrote about their legendary love story, Mayte Garcia for the first time shares the deeply personal story of their relationship and offers a singular perspective on the music icon and their world together: from their unconventional meeting backstage at a concert (and the long-distance romance that followed), to their fairy-tale wedding (and their groundbreaking artistic partnership), to the devastating losses that ultimately dissolved their romantic relationship for good. Throughout it all, they shared a bond more intimate than any other in Prince's life. No one else can tell this story or can provide a deeper, more nuanced portrait of Prince â?? both the famously private man and the pioneering, beloved artist â?? than Mayte, his partner during some of the most pivotal personal and professional years of his career. The Most Beautiful is a book that will be returned to for decades, as Prince's music lives on with generations to… (more)

Rating

½ (30 ratings; 3.9)

User reviews

LibraryThing member flourgirl49
Mayte Garcia met Prince when she was 16 years old and became his first wife after a very close friendship that lasted several years. Prince was extremely eccentric and appears to have been quite emotionally stunted. After the birth of their son, he treated Mayte horribly, and I found that part of
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the book painful to read. The fact that Mayte still loves Prince deeply, even after his cruelty and indifference towards her is a testament to the strength of his compelling personality. Still, the gild has worn off the lily, and my view of Prince has tarnished. Mayte, however, seems to have gone on to a fulfilling life, and I am happy for her.
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LibraryThing member Carmenere
Ms. Garcia, as the first wife of rock star, Prince, had an eagles eye view of life in the Purple One's domain and actually played a large part in it. Her memoir begins with her being notified of his death and retros back to the circumstances involved in meeting him, becoming his wife and mother to
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the star's son, Amir, a heartbreaking story in itself.
She speaks honestly and frankly about their life together. Like many musical geniuses Prince had his demons. He comes off as complicated, spiritual, private and very controlling. Surprisingly, one individual came into his life who would change his way of thinking and of believing, the controller would become controlled. His life and death were shrouded in mystery and hearsay. How apt that Ms. Garcia, herself, a professional belly dancer should lift the veil on such an iconic figure.
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LibraryThing member Jessika.C
A book in which Mayte spills the tea.

Mayte Garcia met the love of her life when she was 16 years old. Honestly, it sounded almost like a girlish fanfiction that I read once about a girl who met Liam Payne on a tour when he was still in One Direction and they fell madly in love through their email
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and text correspondence. Except, Garcia’s story is real and she has the marriage and side by side career to Prince to prove it.

Before the life-changing moment of meeting her future husband, Garcia was a dancer because her mom loved the craft. They did belly dancing performances together and became well known in their state of Florida. She took her talents with her when her family moved to Germany and she got the opportunity to improve her performance with genuine Arabic dance costumes made in Egypt and job opportunities that put most dancers small careers to shame. By the time she met the man, she was basically set for a life on her own terms if she wanted.

But love always makes us take or reject opportunities because that’s just how it goes. Prince felt a connection to this girl and kept her in his life. To some it might have looked like an obsession, but how many of us have felt like keeping a significant other as close as possible to us at all times? - I say that as if I’ve ever had a significant other hahahaha. But that doesn’t mean others can’t relate.

There are some things I do feel could have been kept to herself. Sure it’s a book about her life with Prince but that doesn’t mean she has to air his dirty laundry out to the world when he was such a private man in life. Her side of the story is heartbreaking but I think she unintentionally left him out to dry.
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LibraryThing member purplequeennl
This is a touching tribute by Prince's 1st ex-wife Mayte Garcia. The book interweaves the autobiography of her life, and her incredible belly-dancing career, with how she first met Prince, the friendship they development, and the love and life they went on to share. It details the devastating loss
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of their children, and the crushing end of their marriage. Mayte writes with clarity, humour and love, describing the vivid world that Prince created and lived in.

As a person who lived and breathed Prince's music since my teenage years, I was keen to read this insight. It was frank, open, unconditional and told with such love and bittersweet tenderness. I felt I understood the man, his creativity, and his music better after reading this.

I admire Mayte's strength in telling what is, at times, a very frank story of their life together, and thank her for sharing it with us.
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LibraryThing member jekka
Yup. Prince was just as weird as we all thought he was. But this was still a good read.

Language

Original publication date

2017

ISBN

9780316468978
Page: 0.2629 seconds