THE LILAC PEOPLE

A trans man and his chosen family struggle for survival during World War II (and after).

Bertie, a trans man, spends his days working at Berlin’s Institute for Sexual Science and his evenings enjoying the relative social freedom that prevails in the waning days of the Weimar Republic. When Hitler ascends to power, the trans community, along with others in Berlin’s vibrant gay community, are threatened by a loss of rights and burgeoning waves of street violence. Bertie and his girlfriend, Sofie, flee the city to eke out a subsistence living for the duration of World War II on a rural farm near Ulm. Originally owned by the grandparents of Bertie’s close friend Gert, the farm eventually falls to Bertie and Sofie after the welcoming, sheltering older couple dies. Shortly after Allied forces occupy the area, Karl, a frail trans man who’s escaped from Dachau, seeks shelter with Bertie and Sofie and reports the terrifying news that Allied forces are continuing—postwar—to penalize members of the “third sex” community with imprisonment under Third Reich codes of public conduct. Rather than enjoying relief from the horrors and privations of war, the close-knit trio must find ways to shield the men’s trans identities while making their way to safety in a more tolerant environment. Todd’s detailed narrative conveys the terrors and uncertainties of life during wartime: the inability to trust even close neighbors or loved ones’ true identity; the fear of attack; the wrenching horror of trying to make sense of who lived and died. The ambitions and joys of Berlin’s queer community are equally well drawn. The book is populated with historical figures, notably Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, pioneering sexologist and founder of the Institute for Sexual Science.

Todd vividly illustrates the power of love and community in the face of oppression.