428 pages | UK B Format 12.8cm x 19.8cm | Hardcover
Printed on coated silk 115gsm paper
Copyright ©️ 2026 | Author’s Revised Edition
Published by Quiet Harbour Press in November 2026
ISBN No.: 978-1-0654975-0-9
In this deeply moving sequel to Silent Victims: Part One, which revealed the devastating impact of Thalidomide on his mother, Margaret, Gary Millar turns his attention to the family left to live with its consequences.
Major rewrite: In this hardcover edition Gary has substantially updated the story first explored in the original paperback published in 2025.
Spanning more than six decades, this is an extraordinary story of love, loss, courage and survival. At its heart is Gary’s brother, Leslie Millar, born with disabilities caused by Thalidomide, whose determination, humour and humanity endured despite a world that too often failed to understand, accommodate or accept him.
Through treasured photographs, deeply personal memories and painstaking research, Gary pieces together the untold story of a family whose lives were irrevocably changed. He reveals how the consequences of one of medicine’s greatest tragedies reached far beyond those directly affected, leaving lasting emotional scars on parents, siblings and generations to come.
Unflinching in its honesty yet filled with compassion, Silent Victims: Part Two confronts the hidden cost of Thalidomide while celebrating the remarkable strength of the human spirit. It is a story of injustice and heartbreak, but also of laughter, loyalty, unconditional love and the extraordinary resilience of an ordinary family.
Above all, this is a story about those who lived in the shadow of tragedy, whose struggles were too often unseen, whose sacrifices went unrecognised and whose voices deserve, at last, to be heard.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alderman Gary Millar MBE, former Lord Mayor of Liverpool, is a proud Scot, adopted Scouser, author, entrepreneur, mentor and philanthropist. Drawing on his experience of growing up in care, he tells the often-overlooked story of how Thalidomide affected not only those born with disabilities, but their parents, siblings and wider families. Guided by his belief in ‘Pay It Forward’, Gary champions unheard voices and lives in Liverpool with his soulmate of 45 years.