Deerskin by Robin McKinley; fantasy; 320 pages
While I was fighting off the Cold of Doom last week, I revisited one of my favorite comfort reads: Deerskin. McKinley's book is one of her few titles aimed at adults, and retells Donkeyskin, one of the less-well-known of Perrault's fairy tales. (I recommend reading the original story before trying this book, but if you want a more kid-friendly version, try Princess Furball by Charlotte Huck, which has wonderful illustrations, and tones down the creepiness considerably).
McKinley's writing in this novel is almost dreamlike, and the tone of the book shifts from a very formal "once upon a time" style to a more emotional voice as the main character matures. But the real reason I love this book so much is McKinley's attention to the princess's hunting hound, Ash, and the relationship between the dog and person. McKinley has dogs of her own, and it shows in the way she writes about them (and WHY are dogs so under-represented in the fantasy genre, anyway? I mean, I like cats as much as the next person, but still....). This is not a light or easy read (it's already been pointed out to me that all of my "comfort reads" have horrible things happening to the main characters), and it's the only book that McKinley has ever gotten hate-mail for, but it's a wonderful story of healing and transformation.
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