On the Savage Side

Arcade and Daffodil were born one minute apart, twins that swore to always protect each other. Together, Arc and Daffy forge a world shot through with colour and wonder: a patch of grass becomes an archaeologist''s dig; the toxic fumes emerging from the local paper mill are the dust rising from wild horses gallopping in the factory''s basement; an abandoned 1950s convertible is a time machine that can take them and their friends anywhere. Their bond is an escape from their struggling family, their imaginations a reprieve from the failing, lusterless streets of Chillicothe, Ohio. As the legacy of addiction that has long plagued their mother tightens its grip on their lives, Arc and Daffy try to build a new life for themselves. But when a local prostitute is found tangled in the banks of the river, Arc finds herself drawn to the mystery, determined to find the truth and protect the only family she''s ever known. But as more familiar bodies are found and with the killer circling closer and closer, Arc''s mission to keep herself and her sister safe becomes increasingly desperate - and the powerful riptides of the savage side increasingly difficult to resist. Drawing from the true story of six women killed in her native state, acclaimed novelist and poet Tiffany McDaniel has written a haunting, singular portrait of small towen America and an elegy for missing women everywhere.

Préface
Inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six, this hypnotic novel tells the story of two sisters in rural Ohio facing a legacy of guilt, addiction and devastating family secrets . From the bestselling author of Betty.

Auteur
TIFFANY McDANIEL is the international bestselling author of Betty, The Summer that Melted Everything, and On the Savage Side. Drawing from her Cherokee heritage, she is a poet, a novelist, and a visual artist. She is also the author of the Middle Grade series The Wand Keepers. She is the winner of over a dozen literary prizes, including the Guardian's Not the Booker, Friends of American Writers Chicago, the Society of Midland Authors, and the FNAC. She lives with cats and a dog surrounded by the trees and wildlife that she loves. Tiffany was awarded the prestigious title of Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in 2021.

Résumé

'STRIKING, ETHEREAL AND TRANSCENDENT' NEW YORK TIMES

'THIS BOOK WILL LEAVE YOU BREATHLESS' BRYN GREENWOOD

No heart is safe on the savage side.

Arcade and Daffodil are twin sisters born one minute apart. With their fiery red hair and thirst for escape, they form an imaginative world of their own, nurtured by their grandmother's stories. But no matter how hard they try, Arc and Daffy can't escape the generational ghosts that haunt their family. And so, left to fend for themselves in the shadow of their rural Ohio town, the two sisters cling tight to one another.

Years later, a local woman is discovered dead in the river. Soon, more bodies are left floating in the water, and as the killer circles ever closer, Arc's promise to keep her sister safe becomes increasingly desperate - and the powerful riptide of the savage side more difficult to survive.

Drawing from the true story of women killed in Chillicothe, Ohio, acclaimed novelist and poet Tiffany McDaniel offers a moving literary testament and fearless elegy for missing women everywhere.