The Lilac People

By: Milo Todd

Narrated by: Max Meyers

For fans of All the Light We Cannot See and In Memoriam, a moving and deeply humane story about a trans man who must relinquish the freedoms of prewar Berlin to survive first the Nazis then the Allies while protecting the ones he loves

In 1932 Berlin, Bertie, a trans man, and his friends spend carefree nights at the Eldorado Club, the epicenter of Berlin’s thriving queer community. An employee of the renowned Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld at the Institute of Sexual Science, Bertie works to improve queer rights in Germany and beyond, but everything changes when Hitler rises to power. The institute is raided, the Eldorado is shuttered, and queer people are rounded up. Bertie barely escapes with his girlfriend, Sofie, to a nearby farm. There they take on the identities of an elderly couple and live for more than a decade in isolation.

In the final days of the war, with their freedom in sight, Bertie and Sofie find a young trans man collapsed on their property, still dressed in Holocaust prison clothes. They vow to protect him—not from the Nazis, but from the Allied forces who are arresting queer prisoners while liberating the rest of the country. Ironically, as the Allies’ vise grip closes on Bertie and his family, their only salvation becomes fleeing to the United States.

Brimming with hope, resilience, and the enduring power of community, The Lilac People tells an extraordinary story inspired by real events and recovers an occluded moment of trans history.

©2025 Milo Todd (P)2025 Dreamscape Media

Rich historical fiction with lovable characters that draw you in

I found “The Lilac People” both riveting and moving. With a strong focus on setting, it brought the joyous nightlife scene of 1930’s Berlin to life for me, while highlighting the horrors of the rise of Nazi Germany and its effects on the lives of everyday Berliners. This is a must read for anyone interested in the nature of fascism and the way it can take root in democracies, always going after the most vulnerable first. Set in a time in Berlin when the LGBTQ community were making some gains—however slight—The Lilac People” is a very timely read in light of current events. It serves as a warning and as a beacon of hope, while managing to be a page-turner of a suspense novel!

Heartbreaking while also full of joy.

This was an amazing book, and a very good performance. The writing is one of the best fictionalized histories I’ve ever read and *feels* real. It leans into emotional truths even when it dips into and out of factual situations with fictional characters. The suspension of disbelief needed to hold the series of events in tension against the sheer volume of life the story intersects with life is a drop in the bucket.

This story is a poignant reminder of where we’ve been, and where we could be headed.

Moving and disturbing an important story at this time in our situation

I love how the people come to life. Although I’m not like these people I could totally understand the fear and I think it will help some understand the pain that not fitting in causes

Different Subject Matter

Never before have I read a WW II historical fiction book like this that looked at transgender people and how difficult life was for them… I’m really surprised that if not for it being nominated in Good Reads HF category, I would not even have heard of Lilac People. As for the narration, Max Meyers performed this story beautifully… Absolutely flawless!!!

The similarities of then vs. now

I loved how they all stuck together. Always.
A very touching story. A sad story.

Missing Info

Idk how to report this to Amazon/Audible. But at the end of chapter 24 there has to be missing info. I assume Karl fell overboard during the cigarette Bert shared with the Nazi but it cuts off and goes to the next chapter and you can tell by context something is missing - the refer to “the incident”.

Heart-wrenching and relevant story for today

As a lover of historical fiction, this book taught me so much! I had no idea that LGBTQ folks were re-arrested after being liberated from concentration camps, and as reviled in the U.S. as they were in Germany. And the narration was so well done! The author described their thoughts in so much detail that I really felt right there in every moment. Exceptional writing, in my opinion.

Absolutely incredible

This book is definitely a must read for everybody! While, this is a book of fiction. It is all taken from historical events and I learned so much honestly about both pre-war and Post war Germany and what trans men could or could not do in both time periods. This was absolutely incredible. I really loved following in Bert, Sofie, and Karl’s story. And in these times that we are living in right now it is crucial that remember that trans and non-binary people always existed even if they have tried to erase us. I have now gone on a deep dive of the doctor Magnus Hirschfeld and the Institute for Sexual Science that he created. Such amazing work and the fact that they were open and accepting of IDs of trans men, and then everything that followed with the nazis. It’s so eerie and disheartening to see history repeat itself but also we do exist and there’s power to that. This author is incredible and I definitely will be on the lookout for more books by him. This is an absolute heart wrenching, but hopeful book and everybody should read it.

Wow, a must read

This was heart wrenching, insightful and absolutely engrossing. I finished this and have not stop thinking about it. This is invaluable and a must read.

Eerily poignant.

Such a heart wrenching, yet inspiringly beautiful book. I hope we learn from history and do better.