The Onion Girl

Some people have written that they found this story sad. That could be said about a lot of Charles de Lint books, because they are always about struggle. No one writes personal struggle better. Although there is an underlying story of the characters trying to help keep magic or the Otherworld alive, the characters are always struggling to grow and keep parts of themselves alive. I delayed buying this book because of a reviewer who said they had been excited about learning Jilly's background but depressed and disappointed by the book. Yes, the story is hard. But life is hard. Maybe one of the reasons I relate to Charles de Lint so well is that he writes truthfully about the hard parts. I've read this book twice already and I'll read it many more times. And in response to the previous reviewer, I liked both Jilly and Raylene. Maybe later stories will tell us more about Raylene.

I stumbled upon Charles DeLint's "The Onion Girl" while doing some research on fantasy books for a college project. Being new to the genre, and reluctant to read fantasy, I had no idea what to read. The book's title and the cover art by John Jude Palencar enticed me, and once I started the book, I could not put it down.The story's main character, Jilly Coppercorn, is struggling to heal from an accident. The circumstances that lead to her accident are shrouded in mystery, leaving her to find the clues and piece them together, a difficult task when one's bones are broken. Lying in her hospital bed, she learns to "cross over" into another world she has only heard of. Jilly experiences a catharsis as a result of her other wordly adventures, and she makes a surprising choice that heals her body and soul.DeLint's prose is inspiring, as his descriptions make the natural supernatural, and the extraordinary accessible to us mere mortals. His blend of urban streets, the wilderness, and dreamscape create a seamless trip through dimensions. The characters are quite likeable, and are varied in personality, from policeman to artist to shapeshifter. "The Onion Girl" quieted any preconceptions I had about fantasy writing, and I would recommend this book highly to those who are curious about the genre, but don't know where to start.

Ok, I'm a big fan, I admit it. Starting with Moonheart, many years ago, DeLint's books never lose their fascination for me. The stark reality of the life on the streets blends with spirit world in that compelling and fascinating way of his. Jilly Coppercorn has always been one of my favorite characters. She reminds me of a few of the wounded souls I know - lost children, indeed... it always amazes me that Charles DeLint, a man, can portray these women with such reality. It is not a spoiler to tell you that this book is about Jilly; we get to know her better than ever before, and to admire her strength. I am not sure if I have read everything he has written, but I have certainly come close. This is one I will certainly read over again. Many of the people we have come to know over the years have at least a cameo. The tension and uncertainty of what will happen will keep you glued to the book, although I made myself come up for air a few times...just to make it last longer.

Here is another fantastic novel by the master of the urban fantasy. This one is about Jilly Coppercorn, a painter who seems to peek her head in on most of de Lint's stories, whether they are short stories or novels. De Lint sets a majority of his tales in the North American city of Newford, and whether Jilly has a small or large part in the story, she is at Newford's heart; all the characters seem to have been affected by Jilly's kindness, charm and buoyant good nature. Jilly is the Onion Girl, however, and we see a much darker part of her than ever imagined before. This book is about the past, and how it can come snapping back to us, teeth blazing, when we least expect. This is one of those Chihuahua-smooshing burglar-stunning kinds of books, but it reads as fast as a 250 page-sized version. As usual, there is magic, and creatures far older than you or I, who were old when the world was created. But the thing I admire the most about de Lint's fiction, and this book is no different, are his characters. They are the ones who help out at soup kitchens and take in stray cats and bring people in off the street. These are people who have seen hard times themselves and go out of their way to help others. It is the simple fact that these people are good, in the purest sense of the word. And at the end of the novel, I truly wished Jilly was a real person that I could phone up and tell exactly how much I admire and love.

CDL fans will particularly like this, it's like a convention of his Newford characters. This book concentrates mostly on Jilly, one of the main characters of De Lint's Newford stories, and her attempts to reconcile with her traumatic childhood and seedy past in the wake of an accident that leaves her in a hospital bed. De Lint does a particularly good job at merging the magical and the mundane in this book. The story shifts back and forth between the "real world" and the realm of dreams and magic as Jilly attempts to escape her broken body by going to another world in her dreams, only to discover that her past follows her there, too.A first time reader can enjoy the story on its own merits, but fans will get even more out of it by having read the background stories on the other Newfordites that appear. I enjoyed the opportunity, also, of getting to know one of my favorite characters better.