[McKinley: Deerskin warnings?]

--- Forwarded mail from bettywinslow@usa.net

You wrote:

> I got this e-mail today. I find the site does imply a dark aspect to the
> book, and don't think I would have wanted to know what would happen when I
> first read the books. Should I put up something more explicit?
>
> -xx- Damien X-)
> ---
>
> Dear Damien Sullivan
> I have read many of Robin's books (Beauty, The Blue Sword, The Hero
> and the Crown, A Knot in the Grain, Rose Daughter) and have really liked
> them. I have also read Dearskin. It was a totaly unexpected surprise. It
> was NOT a nice one. I got the title from your Robin McKinley web site and
> nowhere do you mention that it is about a girl who runs away becouse her
> father rapes her. This is NOT a book for children or young adults; I am
> 16. It is a very dramatic and emotional book. It is very well writen but I
> find that makes it even worse. PLEASE put a warning by the title of the book
> on your site. I have been reading Robin's book since I was 9 and am very glad
> I did not come across Dearskin any earlier. It is not a book I would like to
> see any 9 year old tricked into reading and not only is there no warning on
> your web site, there is no warning on the book it's self. I repeat: PLEASE
> put a warning on your site.

I was 44 when /i first read "Deerskin" and I, too, wished at the time that I had known ahead of time what it was about. I agree... it was not a pleasant surprise and it definitely is not a book I'd want to have in my collection, let alone allow my 12 year old daughter to get hold of. I am under the impression that I am one of the oldest Robin fans on the list (the oldest, maybe?) and when you think about the number of young people who look to this site for info, some kind of warning might be nice. (I.e. "includes sexual violence", perhaps? Not enough to spoil it for those who would still want to read it, but enough to let us who don't care for that sort of reading know not to bother.) Does anyone else agree?

Betty

[To drop McKinley, tell: majordomo@cco.caltech.edu unsubscribe mckinley]
Received on Sat Jul 4 21:54:17 1998