The Most Beautiful: My Life with Prince Hardcover – April 4, 2017

Okay this will be long, but I have a lot to say about this book....Let’s all take a moment.Take a deep breath.4 counts in. Hold it it. 4 counts out.You good?Okay.Mayte Garcia is probably one of the most polarizing figures in the P universe.We knew she was his first wife. Mother of his kids. They shared several tragedies. She was on a reality show. Things happened.Not a ton of info about their time together other than what was heard on the grapevine...and OH what a grapevine it has been.So informed by said grapevine, I came to this book full of side eye, salt, and envy if I can be completely honest here. Lump on the features in People magazine, I came with WHY?! Reading that absolutely tuned my stomach and I felt horrible for wanting to know such personal things.But then I realized, I was reading this in People magazine, which isn’t the most credible source for information as they tend to be sensational most of time.So I said to myself, I’ve read dozens upon dozens of Prince books and articles from former band mates, scholars, super fans, journalists, groupies, ex-girlfriends...why not read one by his first wife.Also, if I want to speak about this book with any credibility, I have to read it.And so I did.Can I tell you that I had to eat every single judgmental thought I’ve ever had about her?Can I tell you that she addresses pretty much every “why” question I had regarding her?Can I tell you about the amount of self-awareness this woman has and perhaps even had during her time with Prince?Can I tell you how surprised I was about how well written this book is? About how good of a story teller she is? About how my respect for her just as a woman skyrocketed?Can I tell you how ashamed I was for being surprised about how well written this book is? About how good of a story teller she is? About how my respect for her just as a woman only skyrocketed after having read this?Can I tell you that even at the sweetest moments with her and P, I did not have an IOTA of envy and was excited and happy that they were so in love?Can I tell you how important context is when considering what people do and why they do it?This book is about Mayte Garcia.It's about HER life and when Prince enters it, it's still about HER life. When he exits...still about HER life.I feel like I grew as a person by reading this, learning not to judge, and to look at myself and really consider the reasons why I react or get upset about things regarding P, or really just in general. I learned to address those things so I can be free to just absorb and appreciate other people’s life experience without placing my own projections onto it.Not gonna lie, this is a VERY difficult book to read, especially leading up to the anniversary, not because of what’s in it (the info about Prince and his habits isn’t new if you’ve read Dance, Music, Sex, Romance by Per Nilsen or Possessed by Alex Hahn) but because of the emotionally raw place it comes from.Everyone will stand in front of a huge mirror when it comes to this book. What you see in it will be very revealing of who you are as a person.If you’re coming to it with an anti-mayte agenda and a point to prove, you will find evidence here that will corroborate what you think about her...because that is what you will want to find...and that is all that you will see.If you’re coming with a set idea that Prince is a wonderful, loving, sexy and giving musical genius, you may be in for a disruptive experience that will humanize him in more ways you’re ready for (ESPECIALLY if you haven’t read the aforementioned books).If you come with a general curiosity about him with no context about him otherwise, you will find it to be a depiction of a flawed genius...and maybe a few other not so nice judgements without having the context of his upbringing.If you come with a critical, but open minded place of love4oneanother and really lean into this, really dig in and challenge yourself, your perceptions, your prejudices, your bias, you will find this book to be an incredibly DIFFICULT, but humbling and cathartic experience.I thoroughly enjoyed this deeply resonating and evocative journey. I came with a critical, but open minded mindset, had to reset my own feelings every few pages...then found that I didn’t have to anymore as I progressed through the book. I emerged with HUGE amounts of respect for Mayte, and yes Prince was humanized even more in a MAJOR way through her lens, even given that much of the info here isn’t new if you’ve been around.It’s interesting in that he is in this book for sure, but this book is not about him at all. You still only get a glimpse of who he was. I found I still very much loved and wanted to protect the complex and human man that was depicted here (as much as you can a stranger). He is still a wonderful, loving, sexy, giving musical genius. Even at the most difficult points when he seemed to be only one of those things (lol), he was still transparent, pure of intent, and INCREDIBLY consistent in the way he dealt with really everything.Whatever your perception of this book is, in reading it, you will be challenged deeply on the reasons why you are fam and you will have to face that truth in a VERY direct way. It will take some time to process and you should let this marinate for a minute while you do. Don’t be afraid of what might come up as you work it out. Let it wash over you and really do some self inventory...if you do this right, it can really be an amazingly healing ride. That was my experience and I hope you are able to free yourself so you can learn, grow, and heal from this journey as well.

Mayte gave such a bird’s eye view of EVERYTHING within their relationship. I felt like I was sitting right there with them! I went through all emotions while reading this book. I’m an ENORMOUS Prince fan. So finding out this information was quite a treat. It really was the good, the bad, and the sad.

Loved the book.Heartbreaking but a beautiful story. She survived the best and worst of life. I am glad she is happy now

"I want to peel back the layers and let you know the man I loved - the good, the bad, the sad and the beautiful" (MAYTE GARCIA)Mayte writes the story of her ten-year journey with Prince with poetry, power and pain. This is a tear-jerker, so keep tissues handy. To us, he wasPrince. A pop, rock and soul God. He was music defined. There will never be another and we don't want another. So many of us grew up on his music and presence. Prince was not only the greatest musician (multi-instrumentalist) to ever grace the planet...Prince was a lifestyle, a movement. He was royalty on stage and screen. The man owned the color purple and could pull any woman he wanted wearing lace, heels, immaculately permed hair, AND more make-up than a CoverGirl model . When he passed away, the world literally turned purple and doves indeed cried. We all have to leave this world, but this loss hit hard.Then came the storm of stories, speculations and secrets from people who knew him well or wanted to know him. Like so many others, I sat transfixed in front of the TV watching Stevie Wonder and Sheila E and former band members tearfully talk about their friend, their boss, in some cases interview subject... everyone had a story to share. We as fans drank it up as we grieved with the rest of the world.The tributes flooded in from fellow musicians and singers and one of those compelling performances reunited two of the most iconic women in Prince's life. Sheila E. has often been described as Prince's musical soul mate and is a legend in her own right. When she hit the stage and honored her former friend, boss and fiancé during the BET tribute last year, she absolutely channeled "The Purple One" and it was if Prince's spirit had jumped in her for that electric performance. THEN MAYTE CAME OUT AND JOINED HER. Here we had two women who both loved this man and gave their talents fully to him, now honoring his memory with all they could muster. That last shot of them holding his guitar up towards the heavens and fighting back tears is an epic statement, not to be forgotten. I lost it. So much love in their eyes.So a year goes by and we hear about this book. Now anyone who doesn't live in a cave or under a rock knows who Mayte is and was to Prince. His belly dancing muse was always seen twirling around him onstage or at his side in interviews or walking the red carpet of award shows. The two were in love and it was palpable. It was the most open we had seen Prince, who used to shun interviews, especially in the early years before the phenomenal film Purple Rain. With Mayte at his side, we saw a smiling, affectionate and more open Prince who eventually made it known Mayte was more than a girl that twirled about him onstage. They were married in 1996 and began building a life together offstage until the divorce in 2000.So, what happened? Was it coincidence or fate that joined these two? How did this "Princess Mayte" go from meeting Prince at 16 years old, touring with him as a paid band member, marrying him and bearing a child with him to annulling and later divorcing the man she never called by name but loved with all her might, despite never being the one woman "Forever in his life. Well, that's just it. Prince was married to music and everyone else was secondary in his world. Mayte knew this and still traveled the world with him. We see this story unfold through her eyes and it's one of luxury and a world's stage but when the lights go down and it's just her and Prince, we see a side of him that will make us laugh, scratch our heads in wonder, shed tears and above all else - miss his incredible presence even more. What a tale this is... Mayte, I see why you say you will self-admittedly "never get over him" but I am so happy you have Gia. She is a gift from God indeed. Continue to pour all the love and devotion you had for Prince into your daughter's life.All that to say this book is a glimpse into a season filled with tremendous highs and heart-breaking lows from a woman who shared public and intimate space with one of the world's greatest musical artist's of all time. She paints some lovely images and memories. She paints some painful and horribly tragic moments. Some things will surprise readers, some things will shock, and some things may just change your entire view of Prince the man. Mayte keeps it real about knowing she wasn't the only woman in his life (woo, Prince loved the ladies, didn't he?) but she was determined to make a go of it. Whether you love Mayte or question her reasons for putting it "out there", it's HER story. Let's hope our sweet Prince is royally slaying it at the eternal "after show" and if their paths ever cross again, they do "shake hands" - at the least."When you lose someone dear to you never say the words 'they're gone'...they'll come back" (PRINCE ROGERS NELSON)

As a lifelong Prince fan I have to admit that I was wary when I started reading this memoir. I hoped it wouldn't be the kind of tell all account that fans might feel guilty reading, just a year after his passing. But Mayte manages to open up about the love of her life - portraying him as a complex man who was culpable in the breakdown of their marriage, while retaining the personal details that others may have willingly disclosed.The prose is well written (so many 'celebrity' memoirs are not), and the portrayal of the more recent, happier, events in her life is really effective. I devoured this book in hours, and not one word was wasted - kudos to whoever Mayte's editor was. The narrative choices make this book an enjoyable read, and while I was dismayed at the sadness that Mayte and Prince endured, I was glad that she has at last become a mother and found the joy in Gia and her work with animals.For Prince fans, this memoir provides a glimpse behind the genius. A compelling read.

This is one of the best Prince-related books available. But it is related as it is not about Prince. It is the autobiography of his first wife from when they first met in 1990 to when they divorced in 2000. It is very well-written - surprisingly so. It works on a number of levels. Firstly, there is the relationship between the author and Prince and how this descends from triumph into tragedy. An account of Prince's seemingly endless creativity during this period. Prince's conflict with his record label and his struggle to find a way forward. The spiritual/religious views that brought them together and drove them apart. Mayte's own career, her relationship with her family and how these were changed over the course of the 90s.These threads are woven together very skilfully. Mayte, as the author, comes across very well as one would expect. Driven, compassion, loving, disciplined, patient, loyal. I can see why Prince is seen in a negative way and why the author may have received hate because of this. Prince is shown as being incredibly prolific, loving, driven, caring, spiritual. The downside of this is that he is very controlling and moves on from one project to another to the detriment of people around him. 'Controlling' could be used but doing that led to his great successes over the years. But when the tragedy with the baby happens then this controlling tendency, the need to move on, leads to their relationship breaking down as he, it seems, is not emotionally able to cope with the loss. The fact that he burns down the house they lived in once they are separated seems to demonstrate this; he wants to move on and the only way he can do this is by removing what serves as a reminder of what he could do nothing about.Some relationships would be made stronger by the loss of a baby; others not so much.On the musical front there is an account of his increasing isolation from the music community which, it seems, led to a decrease in quality and sales. The high water mark is the Most Beautiful Girl in the World single, which was his first independent release, when went to number 1 in several countries. If the quality of his work after this had been maintained he could have had a successful indie career, as Radiohead did when they left a major. But the quality was not maintained and the music was unable to 'sell itself' without the help of a major label.Prince is still my favourite musician; this books provides an insight into his world during a turbulent period. He has, for me, become more 'human' and I am now returning to the albums made during this period. Most importantly, reading about Mayte herself was very interesting and it seems obvious why Prince was attracted to her. The aftermath of their loss I would also recommend to anyone who has been in a similar situation.

I utterly loved and was completely mesmerised by this glimpse into life with Prince through Mayte’s eyes, his world was so intensely vivid and there was no distinction between work and play; work was play - and Mayte and all the other members of his crew lived in this bubble of endless inspiration through profuse perspiration. I was able to see the human frailty within the genius and learning about how Prince and Mayte suffered such horrendous pain and loss made some sense of how and why he died the way he did. It gave me deep respect for Mayte and I am very grateful that she chose to share so much of herself and the magical mayhem of Prince’s astounding character and life. Thank-you Ms Garcia & Gia.

Unlike the claims in some of the very few negative reviews, this is not a kiss and tell - it's actually more than fair to him. In fact, Mayte still doesn't seem to realise just how much manipulation was going on - not just from Prince, but from her mother too.She relates some of her earlier experiences with Prince as if they're perfectly normal when there's clearly an element of coercive aggression from the beginning.The story around their baby's birth is truly shocking. Prince thought only of himself, repeatedly refused medical intervention for Mayte during the pregnancy and after the birth, and denied her the opportunity to be with their son when he died. It was monumentally cruel. Until the pregnancy, I had accepted that he was controlling but loving: however, once she became pregnant, his behaviour was inexcusable.Also, her parents allowed her, age 15, to go and live with a 30 year old man. Mayte still doesn't seem to realise how much her mother manipulated the whole situation.Mayte is very fair, accepts her own mistakes, and explains the huge struggles Prince was having. Despite the claims of some fans, this book gives a massive insight into Prince and his world, but yes of course it's about Mayte - it's her story!In the first chapter, some of her writing is too cryptic, and I lost track and almost gave up - I'm glad I didn't. Some of the expressions she uses would make amazing song lyrics, and she has a real gift.This book is a salutory lesson in teenage love, parental control, coercive aggression, narcissism - and the strength of a survivor.

This has got to be one of the most heartbreaking books I’ve ever read2 people drawn together in the crazy world of show business , the crazy world of loving a superstarMayte writes with no malice, you can feel the love she felt (and I think still feels) for Prince in every page but life doesn’t always work out the way it should and the loss of a child is a huge experience that can pull some people together or split them upI honestly felt emotional reading this , it was a beautiful book and even if you aren’t a fan of Prince (what?!.?!) I think you will be captivated by the pure love on every page