A Robin McKinley book is never bad. Like a Jane Yolen book is never bad.Deerskin is based on "Donkeyskin", a Charles Perrault tale that is usually neutered and deals with the theme of incest. "Donkeyskin" appears in other collections in variations such as Thousand Furs. These tales are related to "Cinderella" but are darker in nature for the princess flees her father who wants to marry her.McKinley's retelling is a study in the recovery from abuse and assault. It is more of a inner journey than an outer one. I can get over my disappointment in the departure from the source material. In the orignial stories, the princess is able to fool her father and her court by demanding dresses, which she takes with her when she flees. Lissar, McKinley's princess, cannot do this. Yet, because of the inner journey, it keeps true to the tale.
