In an interview in March 2009, King stated, describing an idea for a new short story he recently had: "And then I thought, 'Well, why don't I find three more like this and do a book that would be almost like modern fairy tales?'

[4] The artwork for the volume was provided by Jae Lee, the main illustrator for Marvel Comics' adaptations of King's other work, The Dark Tower.

An elderly man who operates a ferry gets them across the river, and warns them that a severe depression (starkblast) is coming, and that they can find shelter in a building a few miles ahead.

Following the death of Roland's mother (Gabrielle Deschain), his father sends him and his friend Jamie De Curry west to the town of Debaria on a mission to capture the Skin-Man, an apparent shape-shifter who terrorizes the town and surrounding areas by transforming into various animals at night and embarking on murderous rampages.

Roland and Jamie arrive in Debaria, and with the help of the local Sheriff, Hugh Peavy, they determine that the Skin-Man is most likely a salt miner from a nearby village.

They investigate the scene, and discover a single survivor, a small boy named Bill, who has lost his father in the attack.

Tim, armed with a gun given to him by his school teacher, journeys into the dangerous woods, and is led into a swamp by the mischievous fairy, Armaneeta.

The next morning, Tim discovers that the tyger is actually Maerlyn, a white magician, who had been trapped in the cage for years due to black magic.

As Roland finishes telling "The Wind Through the Keyhole," Jamie arrives back in Debaria with the salt mine suspects.

With his Skin-Man story finished, Roland and his ka-tet find that the starkblast has passed, leveling every structure in the area except for the building in which they took shelter.

"[8] While impressed on the whole, James Kidd writing in The Independent noted the book's episodic nature, commenting that “it isn’t a novel but a triptych of novellas nesting inside one another."

"[9] For longtime readers, this book should be shelved between Wizard and Glass and Wolves of the Calla, which makes it, I suppose, Dark Tower 4.5.- Stephen King - The Wind Through the Keyhole: Foreword