The Onion Girl

In the vibrant, mystical city of Newford, artist Jilly Coppercorn is a beloved, free-spirited figure, known for her paint-splattered jeans, perpetual smile, and captivating artwork that reveals the city's hidden magical beings. However, beneath her fey charm lies a profound, dark secret and a past she has desperately tried to forget. "The Onion Girl" delves into Jilly's own story as her traumatic history resurfaces, threatening to unravel her carefully constructed life. She describes herself as an "onion girl," believing that peeling back her layers reveals only a "broken child," a "hollow girl" at her core. While Jilly is an expert at running from her past, life's circumstances finally force her to confront the deep-seated pain and trauma she has suppressed. Charles de Lint masterfully weaves together urban fantasy with elements of Celtic and Native American mythology, exploring themes of healing, identity, and the enduring power of art and magic in a world where fairy tales are very real.