What Milo Saw

Author: Virginia MacGregor

Billed as a book for fans of The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, Virginia McGregor’s debut novel is a carefully constructed comment on how appearances can be deceiving.

It’s told, in turns, from the perspective of nine-year-old Milo, who has Retinitis Pigmentosa — he’s going blind and can only see through a pinhole — his 92-year-old mute gran Lou, and Tripi, a Syrian refugee.

Milo may not be able to see much of the world, but he seems to pick up on things which others miss, including the mistreatment of the elderly folk in his gran’s new nursing home. While Tripi may live rough, he has a heart of gold and will do anything to help Milo and his single mother Sandy. And then there’s biker Al, who moves into Milo’s home so Sandy can pay the bills and whose tough exterior is a cover for his real purpose in life.

Milo ropes in Tripi and Al to help him save Lou and expose the wrongdoing at the nursing home.

A heart-warming read showing children sometimes know better than grown-ups.