Historical fiction is one of the most immersive forms of literature. Alongside transporting the reader to a new era, these books are often genre-bending, combining mystery, romance, fantasy, and even sci-fi. Diverse queer fiction is more necessary than ever in the face of continued intolerance. Read on for recommendations of three transformative novels in the LGBTQ+ historical fiction genre!
HOT PICK
The Lilac People by Milo Todd
Trigger Warning: This book contains depictions of transphobia and anti-semitism. Please exercise personal care while reading.
SYNOPSIS:
Bertie, a transgender man, spends his days blissfully in the heart of Berlin’s LGBTQ+ community, where he serves as a trans rights advocate and an apprentice in sexual science. Amidst Bertie’s fight for progress, Hitler begins his reign of terror. The Nazi regime arrests queer folks, while Bertie and his partner, Sofia, struggle to escape persecution. After a decade in isolation under new identities, the couple encounters a young trans man dressed in a Holocaust prison uniform. Vowing to protect him from all likely threats, the new family set their sights on finding solace in America.
WHY:
Reminiscent of Anthony Doer’s All the Light We Cannot See, The Lilac People is a must-read story of persistence and the prevailing power of community. This enlightening tale is heavily inspired by recovered accounts of trans people no longer lost to history.
COFFEE SHOP READ
These Heathens by Mia McKenzie
Trigger Warning: This book contains depictions of racism and anti-Blackness. Please exercise personal care while reading.
SYNOPSIS:
How does a churchgoing Southern Black girl get an abortion in 1960? By fleeing her hometown, of course. Seventeen-year-old Doris Steele roadtrips to Atlanta with the aid of her beloved teacher, Mrs. Lucas. Awaiting the procedure, Doris spends the weekend immersed in a world of Black celebrities, political leaders, and all the queer (wink) behavior she could imagine. Escaping her narrow bubble leads this protagonist to many new questions and revelations.
WHY:
These Heathens is a humorous and meaningful tale of young Black womanhood and self-discovery. It might even motivate you to escape your reality for an eventful weekend. You never know what you’ll find!
DARK HORSE
A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle
Trigger Warning: This book contains discussions of miscarriage, police brutality, homophobia and transphobia, and the AIDs crisis. Please exercise personal care while reading.
SYNOPSIS:
In 1972, Newcastle, Australia, two paths diverge, each a different version of a life, hinging on one fateful choice. In one version, a teenage girl is kicked out of her house for kissing her neighbor and meets her chosen family in a queer communal home. In the other, a teenage girl represses romantic feelings for her best friend and goes on to study English literature at university. At various points, these paths approach each other — such as when both women meet their first love at a protest, or when they both wind up in the same hospital, one bed apart — until eventually they collide.
WHY:
A Language of Limbs recounts the Australian queer experience during the ‘70s and ‘80s, from the AIDS crisis to the struggle for queer rights. A moving coming-of-age tale that celebrates queer joy, survival, and desire, this is a sapphic love story for the ages.
That’s all for this week’s Three to Read! I greatly appreciate you tuning in, and I hope you pick up one of these riveting reads on your next trip to the library (or bookstore!). Please join us next week for more curated selections of your favorite genres.
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