Sincerely, Stoneheart: Unmask the Enemy’s Lies, Find the Truth That Sets You Free

by Emily Wilson Hussem

In the spirit of C. S. Lewis's classic The Screwtape Letters, author and speaker Emily Wilson Hussem shines a light on the lies and tactics Satan uses to burden modern women with doubt, fear, insecurity, and discouragement--and empowers them with the truth that will set them free.

Women today face an unrelenting battle for their souls. Messages from social media and the culture at large (even messages that seem positive and empowering) can send women spiraling into distraction, comparison, and discouragement--and wreak havoc on their identity, purpose, and relationships.

Hussem is no stranger to this battle. And she knows the reason the battle seems so intense, so the Enemy has been hard at work to make sure of it. In this compelling, imaginative portrayal of a senior demon coaching a junior demon about how best to deceive, distract, and enslave women, Hussem not only unmasks the Enemy's lies but empowers women to overcome those lies.

As readers journey with Hussem through this eye-opening correspondence, they will

identify the insidious web of lies and tactics that keep women from living into the freedom they were designed for;draw strength from the reality that they are not in this battle alone;become equipped to stand against the calculated, specific attacks on women's hearts that are especially prevalent today; andlearn to step into the life of meaning, joy, and freedom that God intends. 

The Enemy does not want you to be free. But forewarned is forearmed. And there is no spiritual darkness that can stand against the light of God's grace, hope, and truth.

Genres: Christian, Faith, Nonfiction, Catholic, Spirituality, Religion, Christian Living

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 8, 2025

About the author

Emily Wilson is a speaker, YouTuber, author, and musician who travels the world sharing her faith through witness and worship at women’s conferences, universities, and diocesan events across the globe.

Reviews

[Amanda (The Little Book Spot) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t say this often—but this is a must-read for every Christian woman. Honestly, I wish this had been written years ago and landed in my hands as a teenager.

This book powerfully exposes the “rulers of darkness” (Ephesians 6:12) that war against our souls. Each letter is chillingly crafted to reveal the vulnerabilities and struggles so many Christian women face—and I saw myself in more pages than I care to admit. It’s eye opening, deeply convicting, and incredibly relatable. Are we really this easy as Christian women to target? This book will make you pause and reflect. I was genuinely moved. I found myself immediately using what I learned from the short, easy to digest chapters to start praying more intentionally. Open all our eyes, Lord!

Thank you to @tlctours for sending me a complimentary copy to review!

[Lilly Pirrung · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know that surprising feeling of relief when you’re sharing vulnerability with a friend, and she looks at you and says “omg, I know exactly what you’re talking about”? That is what this book is. The ideas that Emily writes about aren’t new- and I think that’s the point. We all struggle with the same things and yet we are so isolated by them. Sneaky Satan. Jesus has conquered death though! So, woo!! Happy Easter!!

[Whitney Newby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relevant, convicting, compelling. I loved this book and highly recommend it for any believing woman!

[Eliz · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is very rare for me to rate something 5 stars! This book was amazing. She hit on so many subtle ways that the evil one attempts to corrupt the beautiful feminine soul - ways I hadn’t even fully recognized. I appreciated how this read translated directly to fruitful prayer and self analysis. This is a book that I would love for every female friend of mine to read for their own increase in self-knowledge and healing. My only critique would have been the organization of the 42 chapters of the book; I wonder what it would have been like to chunk the chapters into sections to be able to slightly anticipate what type of guidance was coming next (for example, a chunk on motherhood, a chunk on insecurity/fear, a chunk on Bible studies/fitting in/constant connectivity, etc). Maybe that’s not truly necessary as the surprise factor was kind of fun when flipping to the next chapter. Good work, Emily Wilson Hussem!!!

[Isabelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5
An interesting premise taking after C.S. Lewis’s “The Screwtape Letters”, but I feel that also makes it easy to directly compare the two. I liked that this one was intentionally tailored to the female experience but found the depth to be lacking a little and the insights to be slightly more obvious and repetitive than in Screwtape. I also wish there was a through-line of the main character’s life like in Screwtape—this felt more like distinct standalone letter with less invested in who the main character is. Overall, there were chapters that made me think in this book so I can’t say that I was merely neutral on it. But, like I stated earlier, I just think the fact that it’s copying or taking the structure that was already done so well by Lewis and revolutionized by him makes it tough to not compare and Wilson likely knew this would be the case when she wrote it. It’s tough because I feel like I have to at least partially evaluate on the originality, so I don’t think I can give full points to this book since the premise was thought of by someone else.

[Courtney Bellingar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think every Christian woman would benefit from reading this book. This book is beautifully written, and has helped open my eyes to the sneaky schemes of Satan. It has opened my heart to hear truth from my Heavenly Father. I’m still processing and healing from many wounds this book brought to light.

Sincerely Stoneheart will be a book I grab off the shelf to reread yearly or whenever I feel like I’m stuck in one of the enemy’s traps.

[Ellie Shaheen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another book that I will recommend to everyone I know!! (Especially moms). I love that it’s written in 1-2 page chapters, making it easy to read and meditate on daily. Sooooo powerful for me to get a better grasp on how the enemy is SNEAKY and at work in our culture today.

[Fr. Bryce Sibley · Rating 4 out of 5]

While Stoneheart may not share Screwtape’s Oxford pedigree, he certainly understands the hearts of women with striking clarity. This book would make an excellent choice for a women’s book study.

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This made a great launch point for discussion and reflection. I'm really grateful this is circulating - women are living in such a different world than that of our mothers and grandmothers that it's necessary to contemplate our place in it, and even more-so, our calling here.

[Gracie Muraski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will be returning to this. Many times. Cannot recommend enough

[Brynn Bodily · Rating 5 out of 5]

I rarely give books 5-stars, and even then, most of those are classic pieces of literature like Les Mis or The Lord of the Rings . I can't compare this book in the same way as the others because it's nonfiction, but holy cow, you guys. This is the best nonfiction book I've ever read and definitely a contender for the best book of any genre.

I can't express how grateful I am that Emily Wilson Hussem 1) wrote this book and 2) approved me for the arc. I pretty quickly stopped making highlights in this book, because the whole thing is so good. This book is full of nothing but irrefutable Gospel truths and is one of the most insightful books I've ever read. This genuinely is a book that every woman should read.

I was hesitant about how this book would hold up when compared against The Screwtape Letters , but it does not disappoint one bit. I honestly can't stress enough how amazing this book is. I will absolutely be rereading this book again and again. This book teaches eye-opening, inspiring lessons and I'm sure it will only get better and better the more I experience life.

Truly a 10/10 read.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy of the ebook in exchange for my review. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Elizabeth Heller · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read!! This book was wildly inspirational and convicting. Emily takes you on a journey of a demon corresponding through letters to his protégé. Written in the style of The Screwtape Letters, the letters expose all the tactics, lies, and webs the devil uses to bring about fear, discouragement, and despair. It’s also nice that the letters (chapters) are only a few pages so you can read them easily between activities or before bed.

[Gigi · Rating 2 out of 5]

While this book is fruitful for many women (just look at the reviews!), I don’t feel it quite resonated with where I’m at in my own spirituality and relationship with God. Everything seemed to be blamed on social media (instead of emphasizing how to have a healthy relationship/set boundaries with social media and technology — which I know Emily does because a lot of her content is social-media based). I think the book just lacked nuance. I have been a fan of Emily’s for over a decade, and I do appreciate her particular sensitivity and care for women’s ministry and experiences.

[Reanne - (Faith, Fiction, Fact and Fluff) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hands down one of the best books I’ve read for Christian women. I’ll be recommending this to everyone.

[Mary Scherer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Couldn’t put this one down. Written in a letter format in the style of C.S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letters, Emily Wilson has put together a brilliant book capturing many of the internal and external struggles that women face today. Some letters resonated with me more so than others, but all contained important messages of the truth meant to set us free. Loved it! I think this is an important book, especially for women hoping to live the life that God has called them to live and be healed in various ways.

[Emily Regier · Rating 5 out of 5]

A "Screwtape Letters" for women! This books feels really relevant. I was surprised by how much I connected with it. It focuses quite a bit on screen addiction and while I don't feel like this is a huge problem for me it still helped me see ways I am still being influenced by having a phone close by at all times. There were some chapters that felt less personal and some that really hit hard. I read it two weeks ago and I am still thinking about it and letting the "advice" sink in. Thank you for writing this book! And thank you to NetGalley for letting me read an advance copy of this book.

[M W · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.2⭐️ Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I want to start this off by saying I was beyond excited for this, and in most ways, it did not disappoint. The Screwtape Letters is one of my all-time favorite books, and I thought this did a wonderful job of mimicking the style and flow of the original classic.

While premise was absolutely beautiful and a fantastic idea, the execution had a couple small issues. My main complaint is that I feel like the author could’ve done a LOT more with it. I know it’s focused on her temptations specifically, but I think slightly more generalization would be more applicable to more readers. While some sins the author focused on felt so on-the-nose, like distraction and busyness with social media, others felt like the stereotypical “I don’t like how I look” that so many women’s ministries focus on. I would’ve loved some deeper theological doctrine brought into this. Let’s talk about pride and secret sins and all these things that are hard to talk about. It also was a bit odd to me that the author discussed motherhood in GREEAAT detail but didn’t even mention being a wife. Maybe the author isn’t married, but it still feels weird to hit on being a mom and not on being a wife.

That being said, it still was a captivating read, and I enjoyed it immensely. Recommend!

[Gloria Jaeger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly life changing, thank you Emily for this incredible book. I will be pondering these letters and what they mean to me for a very long time, if not for the rest of my life. I would recommend this to all woman at any stage of life!

[Maria Fernanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eliz was right, our world would look so different if every woman read this book. I have never felt so seen and targeted reading each letter. This is definitely a book I see myself revisiting and rereading throughout the rest of my life

[Emma DiCicco · Rating 5 out of 5]

Do you ever read a book and feel like it’s written directly to you? This is how I feel about Sincerely, Stoneheart. Praise God for the gift of Emily Wilson Hussem’s wisdom and knowledge and her ability to share vulnerable parts of her heart so she can minister to women like me. The few chapters about friendship and body image are what spoke to me the most because those are areas in my life that I really struggle with, and now I can recognize that these feelings are not from our Creator and only the Devil. This will be a book I come to over and over again for encouragement, and I am sad I am done reading it!

[CN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gracie, thank you for the recommendation!

This was insightful in many ways….worth a read.

(Also—I’m literarily tickled by how well she caught the Lewis voice!)

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another one I couldn’t put down! I swear Emily saw straight into my soul with this book. With every page, I found myself quietly gasping, wondering how she had taken my thoughts and put them to paper for everyone to read. She gave voice to things I used to feel embarrassed about thinking or feeling, and it helped me so much to recognize the subtle ways the Enemy tries to take root in my life. An incredible spiritual sequel to the Screwtape Letters!

[diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Honestly repetitive here and there. Good thought provoking elements here and there. Would highly recommend going and reading the OG screw tape letters by CS Lewis first.

[Alex Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis will always hold a special place in my heart, and this book is written in a modern spirit of those letters for a female reader. Not every letter applied to me, but that means there is something for everyone in every season of life.

Some of my favorite letters touched on:
1. Activities: “Overscheduling and overcommitting has fractured the family in a way that was necessary to our [demons’] plan for the slow destruction of the family unit. Most of them don’t eat together at the table anymore. Frantic and disjointed…”
2. Distraction: “although her young children won’t at first understand fully what her device really is or does, they’ll certain know it’s more important than they are.”
3. Doubt: “She’ll be too busy overthinking everything to enjoy most of it…she’ll be led by fear of ruining it all rather than the joy of trusting in her chosenness by [God] for loving her children fully, freely, and authentically.”
4. Motherhood as THE priority: “thriving mothers are a gateway to thriving families, so we swing as hard as we [the demons] can and take as many of them out at the knees as possible”
5. Turning to God for answers: “They were created to consult [God] for every answer to every question. Articles, videos, podcasts. You want her to believe they have all the knowledge she’ll ever need. You want these to be her god.”

[Katie Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every woman ever should read this book!!! Sincerely incredible!

[Abby Meisner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wowza, this was such a good one. I love the Screwtape Letters and now this one more modern and for women? Love. It was especially relatable because there’s quite a few letters about motherhood which were so great to read as I’m pretty early in my motherhood journey. Definitely a great reminder of how the evil one is constantly working to turn us away from the Lord. Thanks Phil for the best bday gift

[Jessica Constantin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredibly eye opening. This was my first time reading this one and I’m certain it won’t be the last. So many good things in here for every woman, in any stage of life, who is striving for the heart of Jesus.

[Nicole Ziske · Rating 5 out of 5]

I began this book with a closed mind, assuming the writing style wouldn’t resonate with me—but I couldn’t have been more wrong. This book reached the deepest parts of my heart, speaking to the struggles of growing up as a young woman in ways I didn’t expect. It made me want to go back and hug my younger self, to remind her just how incredible she is.

As I read, I was struck by how much I’ve overcome. This reflection filled me with a renewed sense of hope as I look ahead, especially as I discern marriage and, hopefully, motherhood someday.

God is so good!

[Mikayla Ruiz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just read The Screwtape Letters.

[Ariel Acar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exactly three weeks ago I started reading Sincerely Stoneheart and quickly realized this would be a book that needed time. Every chapter — or rather, letter — required a bit of marinating.

This story is inspired by C.S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters (a must read) and is retold for the modern Christian woman. It centers around letters a senior demon is writing to their trainee to teach them how to bring their assigned human down. God is known as the “Enemy” and Satan is known as the “Chief.”

In the midst of my own work and life stress, I found that this book cut through all of the noise. Some of the only relaxation I’ve had in the past days has some from opening up this ARC and finding freedom in Emily’s words.

This book is for the woman who has a harsh inner critic. It’s for those of us that compare ourselves to others and hustle to stay at the front of the pack. It’s for the women who have been led to believe that success is a linear path and they haven’t done enough to deserve it. It’s just as relevant for single women as it is for married women.

Emily Wilson Hussem masterfully illustrates the deceptive ways the devil works his way into our lives. Similar to how I felt after I read The Screwtape Letters in college, once you pick up on the lies you’re being fed, you start living differently.

Sincerely Stoneheart caught me at the right time. It reminded me that I’m loved and worthy, even on the days I fail or make mistakes. I am not my appearance or my productivity or my possessions. I am beloved.

Thank you to Emily Wilson Hussem, Thomas Nelson publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Sincerely Stoneheart is available on April 8th!