A Little Feral

by Maria Giesbrecht

In A Little Feral, Maria Giesbrecht delivers a debut collection that navigates faith, family, and personal resurrection through a voice at once wild, intimate, and quietly rebellious. Written in the aftermath of leaving a conservative Mennonite upbringing, these poems chart a parallel journey of breaking away— from father, from God, from the confines of obedience. Giesbrecht’ s language is lyrical and unflinching, a cadence that moves between tenderness and defiance, weaving ancestral memory with moments of stark revelation. A Little Feral asks readers to reimagine where holiness might be found— in the fractures of family, in the undoing of inherited faith, and even in the loneliness of a world shaped by patriarchy and exile.

"Maria's poems are tender and devastating, unveiling a rich, crackling world that will haunt you in the best way." - Lyndsay Rush, USA Today bestselling author of A Bit Much

“Maria's collection of poems is amazingly vulnerable in a way that will deeply impact any reader. She captures pain and beauty in such a way that I found myself wanting to commit to memory so many lines and paragraphs in her poems. It's truly a book I will not forget.” - Hannah Rosenberg, USA Today bestselling author of Same

"Maria Giesbrecht writes remarkable poems. Wildly innovative and emotionally resonant, she puts her own slant on the inner lives of women, taking her reader to delightfully unexpected places. Prepare to be dazzled." -Alison Pick, Man Booker Prize nominated author of Far to Go

"Maria Giesbrecht is a mesmerising storyteller, she weaves words with gentle intensity. The poems here fill a silence that has long surfaced between people and places. The poems will provoke you to revisit your own experiences, finding both the hurt and light in them." -Theresa Lola, author of Ceremony for the Nameless

Genres: Poetry

100 pages, Paperback

Published May 8, 2026

About the author

Join Maria's mailing list (https://mariagiesbrecht.substack.com) to never miss a giveaway, release, or workshop announcement

Maria Giesbrecht is a Canadian poet whose work explores her Mexican and Mennonite roots. Her writing has appeared in The Literary Review of Canada, Grain, ONLY POEMS, San Pedro River Review, and elsewhere. She is the winner of the 2025 Jack McCarthy Book Prize, a Best of Net nominee, and the founder of Gather, an international writing community that connects poets worldwide. Born in Durango, Mexico, she now lives in Toronto, Canada.

Reviews

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

There's something extra special about poetry. The flow of the words, the uniqueness of each story being told, and how truly captivated I find myself with every line.

These poems are breathtaking! Maria drew me in immediately and held me right until the very last word. I found much familiarity in many of these poems.

My favourite poems:

-I'm trying to understand

-Because I don't have Spotify Premium

-What should we watch?

-Places an atheist doesn't exist

-Love leaves leftovers

-Inheritance

My thanks to the author as well as Write Bloody Publishing for this gifted copy.

[Kassandra Vilchis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the Advanced Reader Copy.

Maria Giesbrecht’s debut collection opens like a door unlatched in a storm—an unflinching, tender escape into the rooms of her memory. She writes toward the complicated gravity of an alcoholic father, the quiet endurance of her Mennonite lineage, and the shifting, intimate distances between herself and God.

What emerges is a voice willing to turn itself inside out. Giesbrecht meets her readers without armor, letting them walk beside her as she carries grief from one section to the next, each poem a small reckoning, a small release.

By this collection's final pages, she arrives at a hard-won stillness—not triumph, not erasure, but a clear-eyed acceptance of the life she inhabits now, shaped by what she has survived and what she continues to choose.

[Caitlin Conlon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria Giesbrecht’s debut collection is very clean. No poem has a wasted word or phrase, every line break feels meticulous and intentional. I found myself reading each poem twice, really drinking it all in. I’ve followed Maria on Instagram for probably about a year now, and was pleased to find a mix of my favorite poems she’s shared and ones I’d never seen before. These poems do a lot of heavy lifting with a tight word count.

‘A Little Feral’ straddles the line that separates dedicated poetry readers from fair-weather readers incredibly well—this is a book anyone could pick up & enjoy, & I already know it’ll be one I recommend when working at the bookstore. That being said, I would specifically recommend this to poetry readers that enjoy Maggie Smith or Kate Baer.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

An achingly vulnerable collection full of surprising imagery that will sit with me for a good while (e.g., “we’re all going to die / the same way. Little buds / on branches. Slow dynamite” and “her jaw had simply hinged / like a red tulip”). This collection has a prominent emotional arc that goes from an honest rumination about early family traumas before eventually settling into peace.

[Richelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I met Maria Giesbrecht earlier this month when she spoke at an event at Magers & Quinn bookstore in Minneapolis on her book tour. I appreciated the conversation we had in the signing line, the insight she provided into her writing process, and the amazing “Feral” friendship bracelets she was giving out to everyone who purchased a book. So much fun! :)

I enjoyed most of the poems in this debut collection, which delved into her Mennonite upbringing, immigrating from Mexico to Canada, losing her faith in God and finding faith in herself and in the wonder of living. Every poem captured a mood, and her perfectly placed words crystallized moments in time.

A few poems didn’t land for me because the subject matter was so specific to the author or other women who experienced similar upbringings to hers, or because I didn’t quite grasp the metaphors she was trying to express. However, most of them were fabulous, and I underlined a few lines in some of them that grabbed my heart.

My favorite poem in this collection was “Love Leaves Leftovers.” I starred several other poems within the collection’s pages: “Rats and Stars,” “Don’t Take This the Wrong Way, But God Can’t Hear You,” “Days When I Have Nothing,” and “The Final Preparation.” I’m looking forward to reading future work by Giesbrecht, including the short story she plans to finish this summer.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredible book of poetry. Maria uses language in a way that is searingly fresh to invite the reader into her childhood memories, reflections on being, and thoughts around God peppered throughout. As a poetry reader, there is nothing I love more than a metaphor that is deeply original, yet still carries a ring of truth, and this collection is full of such poems. I did not read a single line that had me thinking, "I've seen that before" (which is rare for a full collection!) This is so special, because in reading this, I felt like I really got to sit inside the poet's mind for a few hours. I started taking photos of all the poems I loved to store away for a later read, and then hilariously realized that it was basically all of them.

God appears many times in this book, but not once in a way that is prescriptive (as an agnostic, I appreciated that). Instead, Maria tenderly and humorously invites the reader to consider the myriad of different things that God *could* be - from every single person on this planet, to a man shopping for furniture, to a deity hand-built by the people that raised us. All of the meditations on God in this collection are expansive and invite you to open up a conversation with your own spirituality.

Maria explores many difficult and topical themes in this book with a tone that is at times philosophical, whimsical, confessional, tender and bold. With her confessions, I feel that she gives us a greater permission to feel the things we feel, even if they are, at times, by silly societal standards, "a little feral". I truly couldn't put this collection down, and recommend it to anyone looking for an electrically original poetry read.

[Chelsey-Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so excited to receive something in the mail and even more excited when I realized it was a book giveaway/advanced reader copy for me to read!!! Maria even handwrote a little note on the back of a lil print out copy of White birds. It and the bookmark they included matched the cover which is so so beautiful (gaby if youre reading u a real one for loving the cover also).
I really enjoyed reading, and I hope to read more from Giesbrecht! She has a real way with words. I love poetry and feelings and messiness. I think I reasonated with part II the most as the poems I put a sticky note in to note as faves are all in it(minus the intro poem), p. 27 to 29 especially is banger after banger after banger. Bonus points for having a table of contents!!!!

Fave excerpts :
"If a shepherd loses even one sheep, he will leave the rest and go search the globe. No wonder the world is so lonely. Everyone is trying to make sense of their tragedies, while God has been busy chasing me through green puddles for a decade." (p.28)
"So laugh a little, make love before marrying, and worship tomatoes, silkworms, wet dirt— anything that makes you weep." (p.57)

Fave poems (i think in order):
Shephard and a Dead Bird (p. 28)
Because I Don't Have Spotify Premium (p.29)
Small Hurts (P.27)
A Little Feral (p. 1)
How to Write a Sympathy Card (p.24)
Things That Could Be A Moon (p.26) *read while Artemis II was in the air, pretty funny, i love a list

[Carrie Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

((Note: My sincere appreciation and heartfelt thanks to Maria for graciously providing me with an advanced copy of A Little Feral for review.))

Maria Giesbrecht’s debut A Little Feral is worthy of the name. This collection of poetry has a thread count of 1000. It is soft, warm, and inviting in its strength and resolute vulnerability.

The parts of A Little Feral that struck me the most during my reading were some of the secrets hidden under pillowy layers of delicate narration. The language has texture and vivid descriptions with the ability to sweep you up, shifting you from reader to active observer. You will find yourself confronted with themes including alcoholism, parent conflict, and the divorce of self from religion and fundamentalist conservatism.

Some of my favourite lines from A Little Feral include the following:

“Nobody talks about how all the soft boys / saved the girls with fucked up fathers.”

“It’s possible, I’m arguing, / to stay alive on very little.”

“I’m from a family / where it hurts to cough / out loud.”

“God can’t even see you / in your Doc Martens and red cashmere”

“The pregnancy / of a church is longer than nine months.”

Cozy up with a blanket and a steaming cup of tea, and let the words hug you from the inside. If this is the quality of Maria’s first book, I genuinely cannot wait to see what follows!

[Ana Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the Advanced Reader Copy.

Well, it's safe to say this book wrecked me a little. A Little Feral is one of the most powerful poetry collections I’ve read in years. The poems are raw, tender, and devastating. Absolutely nothing in this book feels forced. The language is precise, fresh, and alive.

There’s so much in this book about faith, family, and what it means to leave a conservative Mennonite upbringing without ever fully escaping its shadow. I particularly loved how God shows up in these poems - practically everywhere but not exactly where you may expect. The poems feel like breaking away from a father, from God, from obedience itself. There’s grief here, but also defiance, strength, and survival.

I can’t really compare this book to anything else I’ve read before. It feels singular and different and I just love it so much. I'll be re-reading this many times.

My top 3 favourite poems are listed below (I had to force myself to pick only a few gems for the sake of this review, otherwise I'd be listing 50 poem titles)
- White birds
- Easily
- Days when I have nothing

[Alina Kalontarov · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to read an advanced copy of this precious little collection full of tender and wild things. Every poem can be read both as an intimate confession and a universal meditation on the ways we inherit and push back against our past. We are taken along for the surreal ride, full of fresh imagery and unexpected turns, as Maria navigates a fundamentalist upbringing, an alcoholic father, and an elusive sense of home. While I devoured the book in one sitting and then went back for seconds, this is the perfect collection to pick up if you're looking to savor a poem, turn it over on your tongue for a bit, before moving on to the next one. Each poem is self-contained and yet somehow fits like a perfect puzzle piece into the emotional arc of the collection. What I love most about these poems is that they don't attempt to tell a story; rather, they are concerned with steeping the reader in an experience that often feels cyclical and loops in on itself. In that way, the collection bends the idea of time and highlights the ways in which our past, present and future are always intertwined. I loved loved loved it!

[Will A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have yet to get my hands on this book. I'm writing this review as a witness to how Maria unhinged her jaw for the metaphors to pour out like bird chuck. I'm currently sitting in my office chair, checking my inbox periodically for an update on A Little Feral's arrival. I know the wilds, with lines so skillfully broken, waiting at the epicenter. I can't wait to press this book to my chest, just to see if it bulges.

Working and writing alongside the author, I feel extremely lucky to have known some of these poems early. No doubts beseech me that they haven't evolved into small godverses, ready for my knees to plummet in total worship of the craft, talent, and imagination of Maria's prose and poetry.

If you've yet to order your copy, I fear you're wasting yourself with idle hands. I've made a large space on my table, where all my favorite books go, to plant this one. It's close enough to be pulled by the hair on a whim, whenever I'll need inspiration, and right above the biggest quartz a small earth can offer.

Maria, you are a mad genius. A stunning soul. I cannot wait to eat up everything you upheaved.
I threw up five stars on my way here.

[Nicole Zwolinski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'll have what she's having...

I received an advance copy.

In a Little Feral each poem has me screaming in delight. I imagine observers will indeed want to know and order what I’m reading, because it is clearly delicious. Each page is a firework exploding your mind before your very own eyes. Maria’s words are a literary pleasure and absolute delight. I’m not sure how one poet has the ability to weave such strong imagery in every poem. It’s ridiculous and radiant in the best way possible. I want "How to write a sympathy card" to be a sympathy card. Maria's poetry is "neck-deep in living". One of my favorite poems in this collection (although honestly, it is hard to choose) is The final preparation which declares "one must trust the recipe for dying". Maria's writing embraces whimsy, but is rich in wisdom beyond her years. Her poetry will satisfy you like the magic of reconnecting with an old friend near a wood burning fire place - warm, familiar, with shared history - pain, happiness and all.

[Davina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The very first poem pulled me in, and somehow it just kept getting better from there.

A Little Feral is easily one of my favorite poetry collections I’ve read to date. It explores themes of family, faith, and personal resurrection in a way that feels both intimate and quietly powerful. There’s a softness to the writing, but it still carries weight in every line.

What I loved most is how accessible it is. The language is simple, but never lacking. Every word feels intentional, like it was placed exactly where it needed to be. It’s the kind of poetry that doesn’t try to overwhelm you but instead invites you to sit with it and feel.
I read this on a calm Saturday morning, and it honestly made the experience even more special. It’s reflective, emotional, and the kind of book that lingers with you long after you’ve closed it.

And of course, I have to mention the cover. It’s beautiful and easily one of my favorites.

Overall, A Little Feral is a thoughtful and moving collection that feels both grounded and deeply personal. A standout read for me.

[Whatithinkaboutthisbook · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Little Feral by Maria Giesbrecht

This collection deeply resonated with me. Giesbrecht powerfully captures the turmoil of childhood trauma, tracing the ways her alcoholic father shaped her and the echos into adulthood. Growing up in a conservative Mennonite community, many poems process her complicated relationship with church, religion, and God reflecting on themes of obedience and hypocrisy.

Her poetry is lyrical and unflinching rooted in honest, difficult storytelling. It is both vulnerable yet strong, capturing growth, hope, and independence and the formation of a new identity. The poetry is full of anger, confusion, pain, grief and heart. You’ll find yourself sinking into her work, savouring it and the impact lingering long after you put it down.

[Mary Geschwindt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to the author for the Advanced Reader Copy; these poems have stuck with me in the best way ever since finishing my first (and not only) read-through. This is the kind of poetry that will snuggle up beside you, nestle itself into a corner of your heart to keep it safe there forever. Maria’s poems are hopeful and yearning, leading you on the timeless journey of the search for self. I felt like I was going through my own transformation as a woman in this world while reading A Little Feral - so many lines are so relatable and memorable (can I pick a a favorite? Absolutely not). I know the poems in A Little Feral will keep me company for a long time, like little friends accompanying me on my own journey to figure out what this big beautiful life is all about.

[hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria Giesbrecht’s collection "A Little Feral," is extraordinary. These poems move through finding faith after religion, girlhood, childhood trauma, desire, grief, bodily autonomy, and the complicated inheritance of womanhood. Maria's voice is startlingly honest and emotionally intelligent - sharp, tender, funny, and ferocious all at once! What I love most about this collection is the way it resists easy narratives about god, healing, or becoming. There's an electric energy pulsing through Maria's poetry, alongside imagery that feels both dreamlike and deeply embodied. So many lines lingered with me long after reading. Beautiful, haunting, and deeply human. Maria is one of my favorite poets!

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maria Giesbrecht is an exceptional storyteller. Her ability to weave words into unexpected metaphors and deeply vulnerable narratives is simply amazing.

I particularly loved three poems: “Rats and Stars,” “Please Tell Me There’s a Conclusion to This Ocean,” and “Easily.” All three broke my heart a little and then held the pieces afterward. I could see so much of myself in them. There were aches in me I hadn’t yet articulated, and somehow these poems found the words.

This collection is honest, tender, and quietly devastating in places; the kind of poetry collection that earns a permanent place on my bookshelf. I know I’ll return to it often, especially to those three poems that made me feel so deeply seen.

[Jillian · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Little Feral is a masterclass in contemporary poetry. Giesbrecht's use of craft elements and signature voice elevates the quality of her poetry to another level. But it's her willingness to confront taboo topics that truly sets her work apart. Whether she is wrestling with god, family, or herself, Giesbrecht isn't afraid to speak the uncomfortable truth. She is unapologetic in her storytelling, encouraging readers to examine the dark parts of their own lives. This book challenged me to be more brave, authentic, silly, and of course, feral. I'd recommend it to anyone, regardless of their experience with poetry!

[Alexa Brockamp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maria Giesbrecht’s “A Little Feral” is a book you will read more than once. As I was reading through it, I was marking my favorite poems so I could return to them, until I found myself marking almost every page. Maria has a way of evoking emotions without referring to them directly. Her craft is tight, and the narrative arc is strong. Each poem stands on its own outside the narrative, if you’re a person who doesn’t read poetry books straight through. This is the kind of collection you carry around in your purse to pull out when you need it. The kind you come back to. You will take pictures of the pages and send them to your friends. It is immediately one of my favorite poetry books.

[Sarah Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been following Maria as a poet for a long time and could not wait to get my hands on this book.
As expected, it had me in tears from the first poem to the last. I inhaled it front to back in one sitting. Not a single skip.
Gorgeous, masterful, extraordinary writing about growing up beneath the weight of control from a religious community and an alcoholic father. The poems in succession tell a triumphant tale of perseverance, determination, and stubborn faith through feral-ness via vivid language and unique/original metaphor that stays with you long after like scenes of a novel or film. A book to cherish and read again and again.

[Aravinda Garimella]

A little feral is a collection of brilliant, bold and moving poems that are patient. They take their time to disentangle the tangled webs in the poet's heart, and as you read the poems, you will feel moved, seen, heart broken and healed. I have read every poem in the book, this is not a book you rush through. For poets, Maria's feral (but also mature ans refined) poems will inspire you in your own writing. For all readers, this book will speak to the feral soul in you.

[Ashley Vega · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Kaye Publicity for the gifted copy of A Little Feral!

Giesbrecht uses powerful imagery and varying forms to bring to life themes of family, faith, love and grief. She lays it all out on the page, her skill with language creating experiences that hit emotionally and resonate deeply. She captures relationships in a way that is both tender and intense.

I enjoyed this collection a lot, Giesbrecht delivers on emotion in a way that will have me coming back to poems in this collection time and time again.

[Literarykittens · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up because of the theme and was taken in by Maria's quiet rebellion.

"There is no algorithm to predict divorce

from a deity. Or a lover, or a house
disguised as a family. The for-you-page
of the rest of your life isn't in your control.
Your ancestors f*cked you over
a long time ago. So laugh a little,
make love before marrying, and worship
tomatoes, silkworms, wet dirt—
anything that makes you weep."

[Stuti · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the few times I finished reading a poetry collection this quickly. It is impossible to put down. And I have only just read it once of many more times in the future, since books like these ask to be revisited, again and again and again

Every piece feels intentional, raw and refined at the same time, layered and inspiringly honest. The grace and humanity in the voice behind these pieces is undeniable. And this is a debut collection! Hats off!

[Nicole Dalcourt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection is a fierce and tender meditation on womanhood and truth. The poems guide the reader through interior landscapes shaped by memory, inheritance, and emotional reckoning. By the end of the collection, I was left with the sense of having witnessed the process of someone becoming their truest self.

[Kelly Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite collections this year. The craft astonishes—risk and surprise in every surreal, unexpected leap, grounded by a steady narrative spine. It’s a rare balance, and Maria achieves it with luminous clarity and control. A collection I’ll return to again and again for its imagination and impact.

[Catherine Miele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be reading this collection again. Every word, line break, alliteration is so carefully chosen. Every poem is visceral—Giesbrecht carves emotion and onto the page. It’s almost effortless the way her pieces paint a feeling or carry you into her personal experience, except a poet knows no truth-bearing is effortless. A stunning collection.

[K.R. Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Traumas recounted calmly, or sometimes not. With precision detail and tiny, abrupt shifts in imagery, Maria Giesbrecht’s poetry collection A Little Feral teases out the traps that shelter behind trust; the way rigid religious upbringing lingers; the small moments that let us feed ourselves.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giesbrecht rips open the seams of a childhood under the thumb of a controlling father and church, and then invites the reader to watch as she slowly stitches a more tender life in its place. When force meets forgiveness and freedom, the result is a little feral.

[Bri S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do not miss this stunning collection! I devoured my ARC and can attest, this is a book I will long be thinking about! With language that is surprising in the best possible way, these poems are absolute gems. Thank you to the publisher for the advanced reader copy.