What do you think?
Rate this book
This Side of the Sky: 101 Poems and Scriptures for the Hungry, Hopeful, and Homesick
Not yet published
Expected 15 Sep 26Known for giving language to what many women feel but struggle to name, Laura Wifler's debut poetry collection is as riveting as it is relatable.
Written with her signature timbre of startling honesty and unfaltering hope, Laura offers listeners a new way to witness life in This Side of The Sky. Through poetry that is remarkably specific yet wildly universal, Laura explores what it means to grow older in a fallen body, tangles with complicated feelings about grief and suffering this side of Heaven and examines the aches of living in a world that feels both heavy and holy.
In these poems and Scriptures, you will
permission to be honest about the pain of life, without losing faith;
a tender awareness of God's nearness, even when life feels chaotic;
encouragement, joy, and comfort in your pursuit of Christ, fortifying your faith even in trials;
a reminder that Heaven is real, and it holds hope for you today.
A trusted and authentic voice for modern Christian women, Laura's poems grapple with the parts of us that know God is real but need reminders that He is moving in our lives, even now. Her compassionate words are ones to tape onto mirrors, tuck into Bibles, send to friends in crisis, and save for days when everyday life feels like too much. Like a hand beckoning, these poems invite us to notice the holy mystery woven through our ordinary days and trust that, even here on this side of the sky, we are held by a God who is both tender and present.
Written with her signature timbre of startling honesty and unfaltering hope, Laura offers listeners a new way to witness life in This Side of The Sky. Through poetry that is remarkably specific yet wildly universal, Laura explores what it means to grow older in a fallen body, tangles with complicated feelings about grief and suffering this side of Heaven and examines the aches of living in a world that feels both heavy and holy.
In these poems and Scriptures, you will
permission to be honest about the pain of life, without losing faith;
a tender awareness of God's nearness, even when life feels chaotic;
encouragement, joy, and comfort in your pursuit of Christ, fortifying your faith even in trials;
a reminder that Heaven is real, and it holds hope for you today.
A trusted and authentic voice for modern Christian women, Laura's poems grapple with the parts of us that know God is real but need reminders that He is moving in our lives, even now. Her compassionate words are ones to tape onto mirrors, tuck into Bibles, send to friends in crisis, and save for days when everyday life feels like too much. Like a hand beckoning, these poems invite us to notice the holy mystery woven through our ordinary days and trust that, even here on this side of the sky, we are held by a God who is both tender and present.
240 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication September 15, 2026
About the author
Laura Wifler
21 books211 followersLaura Wifler is a writer, poet, and author based in central Iowa. She has authored multiple bestselling, award-winning books for children, including, "Any Time, Any Place, Any Prayer," and "Like Me," and is the co-author of the bestselling Risen Motherhood book. She is also the founder of The KidLit Lab, where she helps aspiring and published authors write books children will read again and again. You can find her on laurawifler.com or @laurawifler on Instagram.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy!
This collection of poems is absolutely lovely. Some of the poems are ones I remember reading and loving from Laura Wifler’s newsletter or Instagram account, but most of them I did not recognize.
It’s so hard to pick a favorite poem… maybe it was One Day? However, there were multiple I paused and read out loud to my husband.
As a mother of a child with a disability, the tenderness with which Laura writes about that journey (and the overall journey of motherhood) is honestly just a balm to my soul. Throughout the entire book I constantly thought, “Oh! Other people feel that way?!”
I will absolutely be buying a copy of this when it’s released so I can highlight all of my favorite lines! If you are a mother, a woman, a Christian, I promise you will find something special in this poetry you can relate to.
This collection of poems is absolutely lovely. Some of the poems are ones I remember reading and loving from Laura Wifler’s newsletter or Instagram account, but most of them I did not recognize.
It’s so hard to pick a favorite poem… maybe it was One Day? However, there were multiple I paused and read out loud to my husband.
As a mother of a child with a disability, the tenderness with which Laura writes about that journey (and the overall journey of motherhood) is honestly just a balm to my soul. Throughout the entire book I constantly thought, “Oh! Other people feel that way?!”
I will absolutely be buying a copy of this when it’s released so I can highlight all of my favorite lines! If you are a mother, a woman, a Christian, I promise you will find something special in this poetry you can relate to.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
An anointed appreciation of the mundane:
“We’ll stop and stuff mulberries into our mouths until our laughter is stained purple.”
Romantic and real. By a woman who has walked in suffering yet has woken up each morning to survive.
Accessible poetry for the reader daunted by verse.
“We’ll stop and stuff mulberries into our mouths until our laughter is stained purple.”
Romantic and real. By a woman who has walked in suffering yet has woken up each morning to survive.
Accessible poetry for the reader daunted by verse.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley for this arc! I thought these poems were overall well written. I liked the variety of topics the author wrote about. As a Christian, they were very comforting. I wasn’t crazy about the layout of the poems though. Overall, I’m glad I read them!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews