Braiding together fairytale tradition and Old Testament stories in a narrative of connection and estrangement, Dreadful Wind & Rain tells the story of a girl's struggle to break free, both from the brokenness of her family and from the confines of traditional narratives.

"Like all the most original poetry, Dreadful Wind & Rain draws its singular power from the place of origins, as female figures from fairy tales and Bible stories are transformed to confront, and ultimately transcend, the damage and entrapment of familial cruelty and betrayal. These intimate voices, interwoven with her own, informed by a deep confidence in the inner life, together create that extraordinary venture: the imaginative transit of a change of heart-a restorative grace." -Eleanor Wilner, author of The Girl with Bees in Her Hair

"Ache and lift and veracity tambourine through these lines and stanzas. This new Diane Gilliam collection exults its power inside our ears and through our hearts in a rich, stinging, marvelous way. We are never ready for what she has to tell us. Never ready for how tall her words can reach through the trees. I believe that Diane Gilliam Fisher is incorruptible as a poet." -Nikky Finney, author of Head Off & Split, winner of the National Book Award