I suppose it was only a matter of time before someone got the idea that women ought to have their own version of The Screwtape Letters. It turns out that two people got this idea, seemingly at the same time.
Have you already read C. S. Lewis’s 1942 classic satire, The Screwtape Letters? If not, you should go do that. The letters are written from the point of view of a senior demon talking to a younger, inexperienced demon. The topic is a certain young man that they are trying to wrest away from “the Enemy” (God) and win to the side of “Our Father Below” (Satan). If this idea intrigues you, or if you loved this book as millions of Christians have, and especially if you are a woman, then read on.
More than 80 years after Lewis’s book was published, two female authors each wrote their own “Screwtape for women” book at about the same time. Of course, the original Screwtape has already been read and appreciated by countless women. But it’s a fact that men and women are not the same, and this includes many differences in our weakest areas where Satan can gain a foothold and pull us away from God and toward himself, which is always his goal. Think of it this way: if the devil set out to tempt both you and your husband (or your brother, boyfriend, male friend or colleague, etc.), would he use the exact same tactics? Maybe. Maybe not.
When I saw that two of these Screwtape-ish books had recently been published, I knew right away that I needed to compare them. So I read them back to back.
First impressions
I read Sincerely, Stoneheart by Emily Wilson Hussem (Nelson Books, 2025) first. Above the title reads: Insights for a Woman’s Heart in the Spirit of The Screwtape Letters. The subtitle reads: Unmask the Enemy’s Lies, Find the Truth That Sets You Free. The back cover tells of the devil’s agenda vs. God’s plan for our lives, and how we as women can learn to stand against Satan’s attacks and lies.
My Dear Hemlock by Tilly Dillehay (Canon Press, 2024) gave a different impression right off the bat. The Foreword is by Abigail Dodds (this was a big plus for me, since I’ve liked Dodds’ straight-talking kind of writing in the past). The book’s dust jacket flap begins with, “We have no intention of explaining how this correspondence which we now offer to the public fell into our hands,” which is a direct reference to Lewis’s own introduction to Screwtape. So based on the two covers alone, you might conclude that My Dear Hemlock would be a more direct imitator of Screwtape’s style and tone, and you’d be right.
Similarities and Differences
Hemlock closely follows the pattern and spirit of Screwtape. It’s a little edgy (as Screwtape surely was in its day), and some of the imagery is a bit horrifying in spots (if you remember how Screwtape ends, you’ll understand how this book is similar). Stoneheart is gentler in tone, and while it has the same overall themes, it doesn’t convey quite the same devilish nastiness as Hemlock.
Hemlock has more humor and more pointed sarcasm; the first one-liner about how the senior demon spent her recent vacation is laugh-out-loud funny. Stoneheart contains longer, more detailed explanations from one demon to another, with plenty of real-world examples of modern life.
Stoneheart may have a broader reach than Hemlock, with letters reflecting on all women in general, how demons can use certain strategies to ensnare them, how today’s culture affects women’s lives, etc. Hemlock focuses more directly on one married woman, with frequent references to specific happenings in her life (this is on par with the pattern of Screwtape, as well). Even though Stoneheart is also about one specific woman, the discussion is extended to all women in a more obvious and in-depth way.
Stoneheart has many more references to today’s culture and its expectations for women, as well as the snares that trip us up. It covers women’s tendencies toward anxiety and comparison in much more depth, and in a general sense rather than a character-specific sense. And from beginning to end, Stoneheart devotes many pages to the topic of phones, devices, and screens, whereas Hemlock mentions phones (pocket mirrors, she calls them), only briefly.
Takeaways After Reading Both
In these two books about devilish lies and temptations, Stoneheart is a book more about the state of being female in today’s world, whereas Hemlock is concerned with specific aspects of a particular woman’s life (which of course can also apply to others in a similar situation). For purists, My Dear Hemlock follows the Screwtape pattern more closely, and with good success, but Sincerely, Stoneheart may appeal to even more readers due to its more general approach.
Pre-publication, I saw a lot of skepticism online about the idea of “Screwtape for women”—mostly along the lines of, “What? Can’t women just read Screwtape? Do they need their own book now?” Of course women can and should read Screwtape. But especially for women who love the Screwtape model, these two newer books are worth reading, as well.
The links for qualifying purchases in this post earn me a small commission from Amazon, which I use to offset the costs of running this site.
Great and Noble Tasks 