Deerskin by Robin McKinley
Deerskin is a fictional narrative that explores themes of beauty, trauma, and healing through the life of Princess Lissar, the daughter of a vain queen and a self-absorbed king. The story begins with Lissar living in the shadow of her mother’s fading beauty, which leads to a tragic turn of events when her father, captivated by a portrait of the queen, becomes a source of horror for Lissar. After suffering a traumatic experience, she escapes into the wilderness with her beloved dog, Ash, where she learns survival skills and begins to heal.
As spring arrives, she mysteriously receives a deerskin garment that symbolizes her transformation and resilience. Lissar becomes known as Deerskin, gaining a reputation for her nurturing abilities and kindness, especially towards animals. Her journey eventually brings her to the kingdom of a young prince, Ossin, whose affection for her helps spark her healing process. Throughout the narrative, the presence of the Moon Woman serves as a guiding force, signifying hope and support in Lissar’s life. Ultimately, the story culminates in Lissar confronting her past and embracing a potential future with Ossin, illustrating the power of love and the slow path to recovery from trauma.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Deerskin
First published: 1993
Type of work: Novel
Type of plot: Fantasy—feminist
Time of work: A medieval stage of civilization
Locale: A fairy-tale kingdom
The Plot
The most beautiful woman in seven kingdoms marries the handsome king of a wealthy realm. They have one child, a daughter named Lissar, who is ignored while the happy couple enjoys an idyllic, self-absorbed marriage. When the queen discovers that her perfect beauty is fading, she orders a portrait and, when it is finished, adjures her husband to marry no one who is not as beautiful as the painting. Smiling in triumph, she dies.
Lissar is first noticed by anyone other than her nursemaid when the prince of a neighboring kingdom—alone of all those who send condolences and gifts to her father—sends her a gift, a puppy from his favorite fleethound bitch. Because of the puppy, Lissar begins to develop a love of life and nature. She becomes a very atypical princess, learning herbal and plant lore from the aunt of one of her chambermaids.
Lissar’s discovery of self is interrupted when a grand ball is given to present her to would-be suitors. Her mother’s portrait dominates the great room, but her father is overwhelmed by her resemblance to the portrait. He dances with her all night, turning away interested suitors. When he is later pressed to marry again, he declares his daughter to be his intended bride. The final horror occurs when he rapes her in her own bedroom.
Stunned into amnesia, Lissar follows her dog, Ash, out of the palace grounds, out of the country, and into a distant forest, where they subsist by learning to hunt and to gather edible plants. In the midst of a severe winter, in a small cabin they have found, Lissar is visited by a mysterious woman who presents Lissar with the gift of time, to heal before remembering. On awakening, Lissar finds that it is spring and that she is clothed in a delicate deerskin garment that repels all stains. She and Ash make their way slowly toward civilization, ending in the kingdom of an unassuming king and queen whose only son is Ossin, the dog-lover who had sent Ash to Lissar.
Lissar learns that the woman who appeared to her is known as the Moon Woman. Her appearance means that someone in need will find help. Lissar becomes known as Deerskin, and her skill in nursing a litter of motherless pups for Prince Ossin and feats such as finding a lost child add to her legendary aura and endear her to both Ossin and the people.
When Ossin declares his love for her, she flees, impelled by the resurgent memories of her father’s act. Finally accepting her love for Ossin, she returns in time to prevent the wedding of Ossin’s younger sister to Lissar’s father. At her touch, her father becomes an old and broken man. She and Ossin understand that her healing will be slow, but he is content to be patient and helpful.