Just beautiful! Intimate and honest while remaining hopeful. The artwork is gorgeous. This will be a blessing to all who read it and perhaps find the words we weren’t sure how to express as we draw near to God in prayer.

Thank you NetGalley for approving my request for this ARC! <3

4 stars - this book is so much more than I expected. It covers a lot, from motherhood to job interviews, womanhood to our hair, friendships (the good and the bad), and heartache and grief. I didn't always feel the poem aspect of the book, but there are prayers that guide through all of these things that happen in life. Also, what a beautiful cover!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A Spirit-Filled, Soul-Touching Celebration of Black Womanhood

I had the pleasure of receiving an ARC of When We Talk to God from NetGalley—and what a gift this book is. As a Black woman who wears many hats, I felt seen, held, and deeply affirmed by the prayers and poems Sharifa Stevens so beautifully offered in this collection. Sharifa Stevens speaks to every phase of our journey—motherhood, friendship, grief, joy, identity—with love and truth.

This book is familiar. It’s relatable, healing, funny, and literal. It’s Black—very Black—in the most affirming, comforting way. There is something here for every phase and situation we navigate as Black women. If not personal, the stories and sentiments feel close in proximity. If you haven’t lived it, you know someone who has—or you will.

Some standout pieces for me were:
•Prayer for Daughters
•Poem for the Queer Child, From Jesus (so beautiful and tender—I immediately thought of people who would be moved to tears by these words)
•For Eve
•When the Braids Are Too Tight
•New Mom
•Friends
•Favor for Our Children
•Miscarriage

And those quotes! Two of my absolute favorites:
✨ “People don’t need faith when the world already caters to them; they need faith to still feel God even as they feel pain.”
✨ “Although conflict and resistance can mature a person, I pray, God, that You would remove nonsense from my daughter’s life. No riffraff, no narcissists, no grifters, no leeches, no users.”

The visuals in this book are stunning—colorful and full of life, they add a layer of joy and sacredness to the reading experience.

Reading When We Talk to God reminded me of the “literary mothers” Sharifa Stevens honors at the end—Toni Morrison, Maya Angelou, Lucille Clifton, and others who paved the way with fierce honesty and grace. This book carries that torch forward. It’s not for everyone, but it is real, it is necessary, and it is pure love.

#NetGalleyARC #WhenWeTalkToGod #SharifaStevens #Bookstagram #BlackWomenWriters #PoetryAndPrayer #BiblioJaxiin #Jaxiin

Poet-theologian Sharifa Stevens captures the arc, ache and grace of a Black woman in a new release titled When We Talk to God. Through prayers and poems, she covers a broad range of topics such as motherhood, grief, joy, faith and success. I did not relate to all but there were plenty that I bookmarked to revisit again. There is a poem/prayer for every mood and every season in a Black woman's life within this collection.

I admit a few of the passages threw me off because of the language bordering on blasphemy (questioning God) but the author keeps it real. She put on paper what some of us may be thinking. My major takeaway was how the prayers encourage us to talk to God. Have a conversation. Nothing is off limits. Don't worry about being politically correct or saying the right thing the right away at a designated time. Just open your heart and talk to Him.

The vivid artistic book cover of When We Talk to God, as well as the beautiful illustrations within, will make it a good addition to your personal library, coffee table, or gift for Mother's Day, Women's Day or Girls' Night.

Happy Pub Day, Sharifa Stevens! When We Talk to God is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

3.5 rounded down.

It's not every day you find a book like this, and I want to thank NetGalley for the ARC.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book even though some of the prayers I could not identify with. Its rare to find a book about spirituality and womanhood that feels genuine instead of preachy. The prayers provide comfort even in those times when you don't know exactly what to say to God when you're hurting.

I will definitely recommend this book to the women in my life.

In When We Talk to God, Sharifa Stevens offers a beautifully raw and intimate collection of prayers and poems that speak directly to the hearts of Black women. With every page, Stevens creates a sacred space for reflection, joy, pain, and faith. Her words capture the complexity of the Black woman’s experience, blending spiritual depth with personal truth. This collection isn’t just poetry — it’s a powerful companion that invites readers to embrace their full selves in conversation with the divine. It’s a heartfelt, empowering, and deeply moving work.

When We Talk to God: Prayers and Poems for Black Women by Sharifa Stevens is a beautifully written book. It blends heartfelt prayers, poems, and striking artwork in a personal and spiritual way. Sharifa’s words speak directly to the experiences of Black women, covering everything from job interviews to grief, parenting to self-worth. The honesty and emotion in each piece make it easy to connect with, whether you’re celebrating or struggling.

This book doesn’t shy away from complex topics—it invites you to bring your whole, unfiltered self to God. That kind of openness is refreshing. It’s not just inspirational; it’s profoundly validating.

I didn’t give it five stars because I wanted just a bit more structure or guidance in a few places. Some parts feel more like a journal or stream of thought than something to revisit for reflection or prayer.

Still, this book is a meaningful and thoughtful gift, especially for Black women of faith. It’s comforting, uplifting, and a reminder that God hears and loves you, just as you are.

I thoroughly enjoyed the poems and prayers. While some of them I could not relate to, that was made up with the rest that I could. I will definitely be coming back to this book in the future and will be sharing with my friends and family!



Thank you to the publishers for the opportunity of reading this book as an E-arc <3

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me this arc in exchange for an honest review!

I LOVED THIS!!!!

It's not often that you find a book rooted in spirituality and womanhood that doesn't feel like a certain belief is being shoved down your throat. This book was beautifully written and made me self-reflect and wonder how I could grow in my faith and journey in life. Highly recommend this for all women especially during these trying times when hope seems to be dwindling.

As a Black Christian woman I think I expected a bit more from this. There were some parts in the beginning that had me questions where the Bible actually said these things or if it was the authors interpretation of what the Bible actually said so it fit the narrative of what she was trying to depict.

Some of the narrative was quite spicy toward things that may have happened at work ie not being treated right in meetings or having to advocate for ourselves more in the healthcare system and whilst I have had my fair share of experiences, I think reading this (if I wasn’t healed) would really cause much anger within me and that could be quite dangerous if not channelled properly.

That being said, it was a DNF for me. We as Christians need to be so careful about the things we consume and where they get their sources from.