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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
A lot
The father's assault; violence against Lissar; the aftermath
Language
Barely any
Mild language; lyrical prose
Sexual Content
Some
The assault is not graphic but is depicted; no romantic content initially
Substance Use
None
No substance use
Emotional Intensity
Very heavy
The rape is the novel's inciting event—handled with dignity and without graphic depiction; the long recovery arc; Ash the dog as the most important companion in Lissar's healing
What this book is about
Princess Lissar escapes her father's assault and flees into the wilderness with her dog Ash. Deerskin is a retelling of the fairy tale Donkeyskin—unflinching about what happened to Lissar and what recovery from trauma actually requires. McKinley's most difficult and most praised novel.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Rape by a parent—the inciting event, handled with care not gratuitousness
Long trauma recovery arc
No romantic content until late in recovery
One of the most moving books about surviving assault ever written
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