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.

Just when you think you've read every WWII story,.

Just when you think you've read every WWII story,.
It took me a bit to get into this book but then I was completely hooked. The Lilac People were a group of people that I had not heard about during WWII. Their stories are heart-wrenching in so many ways and the support and love that they have for each other and their divided country are emotional and beautiful. The characters are all so real, complex, and intelligent. Of course there is a lot of tension in this and it has some nail-biting moments but I just kept cheering them on and hoping for their survival. I think this is a very important book and I'm very glad that I read it.

The similarities of then vs. now

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

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