There are books I want to recommend but I’ve not reviewed, either because these were before my blogging days or sometimes I had other commitments. Luna’s Picks is a chance to highlight these.
Deerskin by Robin McKinley
As Princess Lissla Lissar reaches womanhood, it is clear to all the kingdom that in her beauty she is the image of her dead mother, the queen. But this likeness forces her to flee from her father’s lust and madness; and in the pain and horror of that flight she forgets who she is and what it is she flees from: forgets almost everything but the love and loyalty of her dog, Ash, who accompanies her. But a chance encounter on the road leads to a job in another king’s kennels, where the prince finds himself falling in love with the new kennel maid . . . and one day he tells her of a princess named Lissla Lissar, who had a dog named Ash.
3 Reasons why I love this book:
- Fairy Tale retelling based on Charles Perrault’s Donkeyskin (The Brother Grimm version is Allerleirauh, which was my favourite growing up. Still not sure what that says about me.)
- Beautifully written, just as all of Robin McKinley’s books are
- Donkeyskin is dark, haunting even but it’s also about hope and healing. Lissla Lissar is an amazing young woman; her journey will stay with you.
Luna's Little Library 