Yesteryear is the debut novel by Caro Claire Burke and takes a clever and satirical look at the current trend all over social media, ‘tradwives’. If you’re not familiar, these are women who broadcast their daily lives, in the same way an influencer does (they are influencers, just packaged differently) but promoting a more traditional (a women’s purpose is to cook / clean / have children) way of life.
If that makes you happy, then crack on, but as a trend, to me, it feels regressive and unauthentic, which is what Yesteryear explores in a truly page-turning way.
Opening sentence: This is last day of the life I imagined for myself.
Welcome to Yesteryear farm
Our lead character is thirty-two-year-old Natalie Heller Mills. She lives in America on the spacious and aesthetically pleasing Yesteryear farm, is a mother of six, wife of Caleb and a high-profile ‘tradwife’ influencer.
From a more traditional background, she leans heavily into her religious and traditional roots to present the world with a perfect life. She emphasises it even more when she realises that she can grow her social following, make her own money and give her life a purpose. If she has to bend the truth a little to do that, does it matter?
The goal of an influencer is not to be lovable, and it is not to be unbearable. The goal is to be both at once. In other words: addicting.
Behind the scenes she actually has two nannies, a social media producer and modern appliances tucked into cupboards, but her aesthetic is one of a hands-on mother living a simple, rural life.
Plot twist
When it comes to intriguing plotting, Yesteryear is one of the more memorable books I’ve read in a long time.
Natalie is a complex character and this is portrayed so well, her decisions and thoughts give her so much depth and I really found myself rooting for her. Especially when she wakes up one morning and finds herself transported back in time… back to the life she preaches about living, on her Instagram.
That’s the thing about being a mother and a wife and an influencer, all at the same time: it’s basically like breastfeeding three babies simultaneously.
When I finished the book, I found myself thinking back to moments where I now know the clues to the overall story were, but the narrative was so well done that the seeds were planted, but the ending was still a wonderful surprise to me.
I think Yesteryear strikes the balance of psychological thriller and social commentary so well. Feminism, sexism, motherhood, identity, toxic masculinity and the ‘manosphere’ are all explored in in a really clever and cohesive way.
This is a unique read that feels so relevant and contemporary, while also has themes and a plot that make it go far beyond a trending book. I still find myself thinking about Yesteryear long after reading. Pick it up and enjoy!
- Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC;
- Get your copy of Yesteryear here;
- Published by Fourth Estate April 2026;
- 400 pages;
- My rating:
I really enjoyed it too and when I finished it I was like I need someone to talk to about this! You’re right in saying Natalie is a complex character, I also found myself rooting for her, but then at times also strongly disliking her and getting frustrated at her actions. I thought the present day and learning about how she got to where she was was very interesting, but I must admit the ‘past’ element didn’t sit so well with me, it felt inauthentic and just off somehow (which I guess I know understand, but still don’t think it was the best rendition so to speak – if that makes sense). I also didn’t like how quickly it all came to an end as I felt there was a lot more to be explored, especially in relation to her husband and the manosphere etc… Overall however a really thought provoking book and a must for any book group I think – there’s a lot to dig into! xo
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