On the Savage Side

A Novel

By: Tiffany McDaniel

Narrated by: Catherine Taber

Six women—mothers, daughters, sisters—gone missing. Inspired by the unsolved murders of the Chillicothe Six, this harrowing novel tells the story of two sisters, both of whom could be the next victims, from the internationally best-selling author of Betty.

"Capture[s] what goes horribly wrong when women don’t fit a customary victim profile...McDaniel artfully evokes each facet of their common humanity, the sinuous landscape, and defiant community in the face of evil."—Oprah Daily

Arcade and Daffodil are twins born one minute apart. With their fiery red hair and thirst for escape, they form an unbreakable bond nurtured by their grandmother’s stories. Together, they disappear into their imaginations and forge a world all their own.

But what the two sisters can’t escape are the generational ghosts that haunt their family. Growing up in the shadow of their rural Ohio town, the sisters cling tightly to one another. Years later, Arcade wrestles with the memories of her early life, just as a local woman is discovered drowned in the river. Soon, more bodies are found. As her friends disappear around her, Arcade is forced to reckon with the past while the killer circles closer. Arcade’s promise to keep herself and her sister safe becomes increasingly desperate and the powerful riptide of the savage side becomes more difficult to survive.

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

©2023 Tiffany McDaniel (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"The women of this book are clever and witchy, speaking in a poetic cadence they have created together... McDaniel is exceptionally inventive... McDaniel’s sentences are often striking, ethereal and transcendent... After 454 pages of searing pain, inflicted on our characters by their families and strangers and themselves, I felt distinctly depleted — but alongside that exhaustion came an undeniable sense of wonder. McDaniel pulls off an impressive twist at the finale, with a plot shift that might inspire you to start the book again if your nervous system can handle it. And of course, the killer is not the point. We read for the women, the dismal yet beatific textures of their lives. Stories about murdered women always fall on the savage side, but beneath that, too, is the pulse of something beautiful." —Danya Kukafka, The New York Times Book Review

"Devastating…McDaniel treats the women who ‘walk the streets of Chillicothe with holes in their arms’ with great tenderness, far more tenderness than they receive in life… The young women, and the world in which they live, won't easily be forgotten.” —Margaret Quamme, The Columbus Dispatch

"On the Savage Side is gorgeously written. If you are looking for humor or hope then this is not the book for you. It’s gritty and dark and we feel for these lost souls. This must have been a difficult book to write. But it really had to be written.” —Vick Mickunas, Dayton Daily News

Loved it

I am local to the Chillicothe area and very much remember when all the women were showing up missing. This was a very interesting angle of it and I really enjoyed the read.

absolutely incredible

favorite book of 2023 … kept me wide eyed and guessing from start to finish. beautifully told!

eye-opening

Tiffany McDaniel's writing is always captivating and I admire her courage to shine a light on characters and stories that are often overlooked.

Prepare yourself

Having a tough time reviewing this book. While that author is very talented and this book is beautifully and poetically written, it is just such a heavy, dark read.

Trauma after trauma after trauma with no reprieve whatsoever.

I’m about 3/4 through and may need to stop reading this. Or at least take a break.

Too Brutal

While the writing was beautiful at times, the story was relentlessly brutal. Like life?

One of my new favorites

As someone whose family is from Chillicothe, Ohio, having someone write a story about the tragedies that go on there. I appreciate this story, the rawness, all of it. These topics discussed in this book need to be spoken about more. McDaniel’s authenticity and bravery in writing this book does not go unrecognized.

Beautiful storytelling

I've been looking forward to this book and it didn't disappoint. Best book of 2023. I love this author.

This author is amazing

I only hope Tiffany McDaniel keeps writing books! I love her prose and characters.

Beautiful writing

Tiffany McDaniel is an amazing author. I'm shocked she is not more popular. Just listen, it's a hard but beautiful. The Summer that Melted Everything and Better are just as good.

Heartbreaking

I just binged this book in two days. The performance was wonderful. The story was heartbreaking with fleeting moments of love and joy. Be prepared to cry for how cruel humans can be to one another.