In the Lives of Men by Alan Hart is a fictional novel that portrays the life and career of a dedicated physician. The port town of Fairharbor, vividly depicted in the novel, serves as a stand-in for Tacoma, where Hart practiced from 1930 to 1932 as the head of radiology at Tacoma General Hospital.

The narrative spans the period from 1892 to 1909, covering significant historical events such as the Panic of 1893, the Chinese Expulsion, the Spanish-American War, the Klondike Gold Rush, and the labor wars in the timber camps.

Alan Hart was the first known transgender graduate of the University of Oregon Medical School, earning his degree in 1917. His pioneering work on tuberculosis saved countless lives.