Book Review: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Pages: 400

Genre: Adult Fiction

Pub. Date: April 7, 2026

Publisher: Knopf

Source: Personal Copy

My Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

 

Goodreads says, "Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle – and her followers are sick with envy. Her charming farmhouse on her working ranch is artfully cluttered, her husband is a handsome cowboy, her homemade sourdough boules are each more beautiful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What her followers don’t know won’t hurt them.

Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie knows just two things for sure: this isn't her perfect life, and she must escape, by any means possible.

As darkly funny as it is shocking and gripping, Yesteryear is an electrifying examination of tradition, fame, faith and the grand performance of womanhood, from a thrilling new talent in fiction."

 

 

 

Natalie Heller Mills is living what looks like the perfect life online. She has married into a powerful political family; she and her husband share a bunch of kids on an idyllic farm in Idaho, and she has scored a ton of internet followers by peddling her tradwife life on her ranch, Yesteryear. She isn't your usual country wife though; she churns her own butter, makes her own bread, takes care of the farm, and lives (what appears to be) a life on her sprawling farmhouse. Except behind the scenes, she has two nannies, a marriage that is crumbling, and a team of producers to film her. She doesn't even spend time with her kids; instead, she cultivates her online presence and exploits the children for her online fame. When a new producer, Shannon, comes on board, she threatens to expose online Natalie versus offline Natalie, and in turn, her world threatens to come crumbling down. Plus, there's the huge problem that after some indeterminate amount of time, Natalie wakes up at Yesteryear, but in 1855. Her kids look like her kids, but aren't, and same with Caleb, her husband. She is trapped in a different and dangerous time, and she wants out. Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke is a sizzling debut that is satirical, compelling, and at times, very dark.
 
Natalie is a character that you can't help but dislike right from the start in Yesteryear. I knew this going into Yesteryear, but her character really bothered me. She is so tragically flawed that I found it difficult to get through the book. It's clear that she struggles with mental health issues, and I didn't enjoy being immersed in her world. The stress! The flashbacks to her childhood and college years do help to illustrate her background and how she ended up to became an online tradwife influencer. I don't know much about tradwife influencers. I've heard that Ballerina Farms inspired this novel, but perhaps that lack of knowledge affected my understanding of the story. It felt like the book was trying too hard to convey a message about women, MAGA culture, unconventional society, and a specific group of individuals who believe this is the superior way to live. Natalie appeared to be deluded, and I found it uncomfortable to navigate her existence, which involved medicating just to get through the day and dissociating from reality. 
 
Nonetheless, Yesteryear made for a compelling novel. It was like a car crash on the side of the road. I knew it was going to be rough, but I couldn't stop looking as we drove past. I will give Burke a lot of credit, though; she created a novel that is compulsively readable and crafty. I just wish it was easier to stomach. I look forward to reading more of her work in the future. 
 
Have you read Yesteryear? Many people feel it is one of the best books of the year, but ultimately, it was just ok for me. Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.