On The Savage Side by Tiffany McDaniel
"On The Savage Side" is a fictional account of the Chillicothe Six, 4 women who are brutally murdered and dumped in the Scioto River, and 2 that were never seen or heard from again. McDaniel makes it clear that this is a fictional account and the characters, while loosely based on victims' themselves, are a product of her imagination. While the subject matter is a hard pill to swallow (drug addiction, child abuse/neglect, domestic violence, graphic depictions of violence) McDaniel balances 'the savage side" of this novel with characters that speak to the heart.
Arcade and Daffodil are twin sisters caught up in a life of neglect, addiction and abuse. Regardless of their circumstances they choose not to look at life from the savage side, taking a metaphor generally used for the messy underside of a cross stitch project. They choose to see life from the beautiful side, where the threads of creation form the perfect picture that the artist envisioned. Arc and Daff's vulnerability is practically transparent. They are caught up in a world where foresight goes as far as their next hit, and a loving hug is harder to come by then a slap to the face. They have an endless capacity for hope...hope that they will overcome their addictions, abusers and the killer that is tracking them down.
I read this book slowly, with mental health breaks. It's hard to power through a novel that's so full of heartache. But I stuck around because of the palpable hope that Arc and Daff generate. Their story is not unlike the situations that millions have found themselves under once methamphetamine takes up residence in their town. McDaniel has a gorgeous writing style, even when approaching the topics of murder and abuse. Its a struggle to go on this journey with Arc and Daff. At times I felt like screaming at the pages because the choices they "should" make seem so obvious to my sober mind. But there is the difference. McDaniel writes subtly about the deficiencies of the addicted brain, and thoroughly about the emotions and thoughts of the addict. She does this in such a way that the line between addict and woman is blurred to an almost invisibility. She reveals the heart of the addict, sister or victim beyond their faults and transgressions. McDaniel shows us the beautiful side of a savage story.
(Trigger Warnings: Sexual abuse, drug addiction, child abuse, prostitution, graphic depictions of murder, rape, domestic violence.)
"On The Savage Side" by Tiffany McDaniel can be checked out at Sullivan Gardens Public Library.
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