Bad Girls

An honest, raw, humorous, emotional, and imaginative coming-of-age story about a trans woman finding acceptance among other misfits.

Camila, who was born in the tiny Argentine hamlet of Mina Clavero, is officially classified as male, but she starts to identify as a girl at a young age. She knows full well that she is not like other kids, and in response to her harsh, impoverished upbringing—which includes an abusive, drunken father and a submissive mother—she acts out, which has immediate repercussions. She later moves to the city to attend university and, despite her deep intelligence, turns to prostitution as a means of support. She also learns about the peculiar and fascinating world of the transgender workers who live in Sarmiento Park, in the center of Córdoba.

Camila is taken under the wing of Auntie Encarna, the 178-year-old eternal whose home serves as a haven for this unusual extended family. There, she learns about their tales of a headless man who fled the wars in his nation, a mute young woman who turned into a bird, and an abandoned baby boy who makes you smile.

The remarkable debut book by Camila Sosa Villada paints a complex, nuanced picture of a disenfranchised group, including their sexual relationships, friendships and conflicts, challenges at work, hopes, and disappointments. It documents their lives, which are passionate, empathetic, and insightful, but are also tormented by the continual fear of death—either from illness or more violent deaths at the hands of clients, lovers, or law enforcement.