Milo Todd and Amanda Peters have created two unmissable books to start unforgettable conversations.
“A profound and riveting story of identity and resilience.”
—Christina Baker Kline, author of Orphan Train
For readers of All the Light We Cannot See, a moving and deeply humane story about a trans man who must relinquish the freedoms of prewar Berlin to survive first the Nazis and then the Allies while protecting the ones he loves.
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.
While The Lilac People is a work of fiction, author Milo Todd was inspired by true history and artifacts he found in his research. Its pages contain such events as the rise of the original trans and queer fascism movement, the first documented queer and trans book ban, and other atrocities.
Here you can see some images to help you visualize that time and to read more about the research.
“A stunning debut about love, race, brutality, and the balm of forgiveness.” —People, A Best New Book
A four-year-old Mi’kmaq girl goes missing from the blueberry fields of Maine, sparking a mystery that will haunt the survivors, unravel a family, and remain unsolved for nearly fifty years.
“A harrowing tale of Indigenous family separation…Peters excels in writing characters for whom we can’t help rooting…takes on the monumental task of giving witness to people who suffered through racist attempts of erasure like her Mi’kmaw ancestors. ‘White folks been trying to take the Indian out of us for centuries,’ a character tells Norma. ‘But now that you know, you gotta let people know.’ Peters is letting people know.” —The New York Times Book Review
For readers of The Vanishing Half and Woman of Light, this showstopping debut by a vibrant new voice in fiction is a riveting novel about the search for truth, the shadow of trauma, and the persistence of love across time.
Discover more and find discussion questions for The Lilac People and The Berry Pickers for your next group meeting!