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Yesteryear
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Expected 29 Apr 26Win a free print copy of this book!
21 days and 19:39:51
100 copies available
U.S. only
Natalie Heller Mills hat alles: eine malerisch renovierte Farm, sechs Kinder, die um ihre Liebe buhlen, und einen Mann, der in Cowboystiefeln immerhin eine gute Figur abgibt. Vom Sauerteig bis zur Kindererziehung, nichts scheint ihr zu misslingen. Kein Wunder also, dass Millionen von Menschen ihr folgen, ihre Videos schauen, ihre Bilder anklicken. Sie gibt ihnen das, was sie wollen: eine heile Welt. Skandale werden unter den Teppich gekehrt, da, wo sie hingehören.
Doch eines Tages wacht Natalie auf und sieht sich mit einer unbequemen Frage konfrontiert: Was wäre, wenn sie keine Nannys beschäftigen könnte, es keine helfenden Hände auf der Farm gäbe, kein Produktionsteam? Was wäre, wenn sie auf einmal das Leben führen müsste, das sie immer vorgetäuscht hat?
Doch eines Tages wacht Natalie auf und sieht sich mit einer unbequemen Frage konfrontiert: Was wäre, wenn sie keine Nannys beschäftigen könnte, es keine helfenden Hände auf der Farm gäbe, kein Produktionsteam? Was wäre, wenn sie auf einmal das Leben führen müsste, das sie immer vorgetäuscht hat?
464 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication April 7, 2026
238 people are currently reading
99953 people want to read
About the author
Caro Claire Burke
1 book361 followersCaro Claire Burke received her Master's in Fine Arts from the Bennington Writing Seminars. She is the co-host of Diabolical Lies, a politics and culture podcast. Yesteryear is her first novel.
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March 9, 2026
Honestly, this is one of the most mind bending reading experiences I have had in a long time. When I finished this book, my head was spinning. I felt stunned, unsettled, confused, deeply shaken, and yet ultimately impressed because what I thought I was signing up for was not at all what I actually received.
Based on the blurb, the premise initially reads like an intriguing time travel fantasy blended with women’s fiction. We meet Natalie Heller Mills, a glossy, picture perfect YouTuber and influencer documenting her idyllic farm life with her husband and five children, with a sixth on the way. One morning she wakes up in the same house, but it is no longer the renovated farmhouse she knows. Instead, she is suddenly transported to 1805, surrounded by dirt, hardship, firewood for heat, hand washed clothes, poverty, and a rougher, older version of her husband. There is no electricity, no comfort, no safety net, just brutal pioneer reality. At first this feels like a nightmare she desperately wants to wake up from, and I assumed the story would follow a straightforward magical or historical fantasy path. I could not have been more wrong.
Once the novel reaches its second half, the true nature of the story becomes chillingly clear. I do not want to spoil anything, but there is a moment so shocking that I literally stopped reading and stared at the page. The final twist left me reeling and reminded me strongly of the real life Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt case, including their multimillion dollar mansion and horrific revelations. I highly recommend reading about that case after finishing this book, because the parallels are haunting.
Yes, the book is long, but I was never bored. The central mystery revolves around why Natalie, a devout Christian, manic pixie style tradwife figure with eight million followers, becomes the target of angry online critics, Ivy League elites, and social media activists who label her anti feminist. Suddenly finding herself trapped in a Little House on the Prairie style past, she must figure out how to survive and whether she can return to her real life.Interwoven with this is Natalie’s backstory. We learn how she earned a scholarship to Harvard but struggled to fit into the elite academic world because of her sheltered upbringing and strict moral values instilled by her widowed mother. Her life motto is always be nice, even as rage and resentment quietly simmer beneath the surface. Then she meets Caleb, a man from a large conservative patriarchal family with secrets of their own.
After marriage, Natalie realizes Caleb is intellectually lazy, spoiled, and completely disconnected from real labor or responsibility. When she suggests starting a farm as his “project,” she thinks she is helping him find purpose. Instead, it becomes her own empire, complete with millions of followers, brand deals, hired nannies, and a 21 year old producer named Shannon documenting every moment of her supposedly perfect life.This book will absolutely spark political and cultural debate. It is sharp satire, but also a chilling reflection of real world extremism disguised as family values.
Natalie is deeply flawed and often unlikable, but she is never a cartoon villain. You may hate her choices, but the novel pushes you to understand how she became this way.What frustrated me most was that I disliked almost every character. Caleb is painfully ignorant. His father Doug is predatory and manipulative. His mother is emotionally broken. Even Natalie’s own family and producer Shannon, despite her good intentions, drove me crazy. That is why I deducted one star.
Still, the book is unforgettable.Natalie’s voice is fascinating. She is obsessed with being good, likable, obedient, and morally pure, yet those very traits trap her in misery. The novel brilliantly shows how everyone in this story believes they are right while being deeply wrong at the same time. They are all both victims and villains of their own choices.The final twist is wild, slightly far fetched, but devastatingly effective.
The emotional conclusion stayed with me long after I finished. I truly believe this will be one of the most talked about, provocative, and controversial books of the year, and I would not be surprised if it becomes a television series.Even if you find Natalie unbearable, you should still read this book. It is a sharp mirror of today’s social media culture, political polarization, religious extremism, family dysfunction, and most importantly, mental health. It is challenging, uncomfortable, brilliant, and unforgettable.
A very huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Knopf for providing me with this intellectually electrifying and deeply thought provoking digital review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
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Based on the blurb, the premise initially reads like an intriguing time travel fantasy blended with women’s fiction. We meet Natalie Heller Mills, a glossy, picture perfect YouTuber and influencer documenting her idyllic farm life with her husband and five children, with a sixth on the way. One morning she wakes up in the same house, but it is no longer the renovated farmhouse she knows. Instead, she is suddenly transported to 1805, surrounded by dirt, hardship, firewood for heat, hand washed clothes, poverty, and a rougher, older version of her husband. There is no electricity, no comfort, no safety net, just brutal pioneer reality. At first this feels like a nightmare she desperately wants to wake up from, and I assumed the story would follow a straightforward magical or historical fantasy path. I could not have been more wrong.
Once the novel reaches its second half, the true nature of the story becomes chillingly clear. I do not want to spoil anything, but there is a moment so shocking that I literally stopped reading and stared at the page. The final twist left me reeling and reminded me strongly of the real life Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt case, including their multimillion dollar mansion and horrific revelations. I highly recommend reading about that case after finishing this book, because the parallels are haunting.
Yes, the book is long, but I was never bored. The central mystery revolves around why Natalie, a devout Christian, manic pixie style tradwife figure with eight million followers, becomes the target of angry online critics, Ivy League elites, and social media activists who label her anti feminist. Suddenly finding herself trapped in a Little House on the Prairie style past, she must figure out how to survive and whether she can return to her real life.Interwoven with this is Natalie’s backstory. We learn how she earned a scholarship to Harvard but struggled to fit into the elite academic world because of her sheltered upbringing and strict moral values instilled by her widowed mother. Her life motto is always be nice, even as rage and resentment quietly simmer beneath the surface. Then she meets Caleb, a man from a large conservative patriarchal family with secrets of their own.
After marriage, Natalie realizes Caleb is intellectually lazy, spoiled, and completely disconnected from real labor or responsibility. When she suggests starting a farm as his “project,” she thinks she is helping him find purpose. Instead, it becomes her own empire, complete with millions of followers, brand deals, hired nannies, and a 21 year old producer named Shannon documenting every moment of her supposedly perfect life.This book will absolutely spark political and cultural debate. It is sharp satire, but also a chilling reflection of real world extremism disguised as family values.
Natalie is deeply flawed and often unlikable, but she is never a cartoon villain. You may hate her choices, but the novel pushes you to understand how she became this way.What frustrated me most was that I disliked almost every character. Caleb is painfully ignorant. His father Doug is predatory and manipulative. His mother is emotionally broken. Even Natalie’s own family and producer Shannon, despite her good intentions, drove me crazy. That is why I deducted one star.
Still, the book is unforgettable.Natalie’s voice is fascinating. She is obsessed with being good, likable, obedient, and morally pure, yet those very traits trap her in misery. The novel brilliantly shows how everyone in this story believes they are right while being deeply wrong at the same time. They are all both victims and villains of their own choices.The final twist is wild, slightly far fetched, but devastatingly effective.
The emotional conclusion stayed with me long after I finished. I truly believe this will be one of the most talked about, provocative, and controversial books of the year, and I would not be surprised if it becomes a television series.Even if you find Natalie unbearable, you should still read this book. It is a sharp mirror of today’s social media culture, political polarization, religious extremism, family dysfunction, and most importantly, mental health. It is challenging, uncomfortable, brilliant, and unforgettable.
A very huge thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House Knopf for providing me with this intellectually electrifying and deeply thought provoking digital review copy in exchange for my honest opinion.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
WOW! This book, just add it. SO GOOD! Darkly comedic, the biting satire in this one is bold!
One of my anticipated reads of 2026! A traditional American woman who has everything suddenly wakes up in 1855 and must cope with the realities of her new life. I absolutely loved the religious/Christian nationalism jab in this one. The social commentary was sharp and thought provoking. It explored cancel culture, womanhood in modern American culture and influencer lifestyle. Seriously, this will be buzzing when it comes out and its already getting a movie adaptation. (Anne Hathaway signed on to play the main character.)
Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Publisher and the author, Caro Claire Burke for sending me this ARC.
Publication date: April 7, 2026
One of my anticipated reads of 2026! A traditional American woman who has everything suddenly wakes up in 1855 and must cope with the realities of her new life. I absolutely loved the religious/Christian nationalism jab in this one. The social commentary was sharp and thought provoking. It explored cancel culture, womanhood in modern American culture and influencer lifestyle. Seriously, this will be buzzing when it comes out and its already getting a movie adaptation. (Anne Hathaway signed on to play the main character.)
Many thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Random House Publisher and the author, Caro Claire Burke for sending me this ARC.
Publication date: April 7, 2026
January 29, 2026
4+
Natalie Heller Mills is a tradwife with 8 million followers on Instagram, living the picture of the traditional American mother and wife, she is beautiful and hardworking, with six children… living the farm life in Idaho.. but she is not what she seems to be online.
One day she wakes up in 1805, she has children, but they aren’t hers.. all of the modern conveniences are gone… all is rustic. How did she get here? There seems to be nowhere out.
The story is told in flashbacks and present day.
Gripping story, a real page turner.
I predict this book will be everywhere, soon.
Already optioned to be a movie produced and starred in by Ann Hathaway.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
Natalie Heller Mills is a tradwife with 8 million followers on Instagram, living the picture of the traditional American mother and wife, she is beautiful and hardworking, with six children… living the farm life in Idaho.. but she is not what she seems to be online.
One day she wakes up in 1805, she has children, but they aren’t hers.. all of the modern conveniences are gone… all is rustic. How did she get here? There seems to be nowhere out.
The story is told in flashbacks and present day.
Gripping story, a real page turner.
I predict this book will be everywhere, soon.
Already optioned to be a movie produced and starred in by Ann Hathaway.
Thank you to NetGalley and Knopf for the eARC in exchange for my honest review!
January 26, 2026
Wow, I absolutely loved this book. It puts a new spin on the tradwife/social media influencer trope. This book had me guessing from the very beginning….. I had absolutely no idea where this book was heading. But I loved where it went.
Natalie is a super popular social media influencer showing off her traditional pioneer lifestyle. Natalie , her husband, Caleb and her six children all live on a massive ranch and live farm to table. To put it simply Natalie is living her best life as a traditional Christian pioneer. At least that is what she wants all of her followers to believe. Behind the scenes everything is choreographed perfectly, and there is additional help in the form of nannies and farm hands and producers to keep things moving smoothly. One morning, Natalie wakes up and something feels off. The house she is in is not her house. Her husband is not her husband and her kids are not her kids. And it appears she has woken up in the 1800s. Natalie is completely discombobulated and confused as am I. We both want to know what the heck happened.
We learned so much about Natalie from the time she goes to college all the way through to waking up in the 1800s. I enjoyed Natalie’s inner monologue at times. She made me snicker , other times she made me absolutely despise her and finally there were times that she was relatable . Don’t get me wrong, she’s still highly unlikable, but she felt real. All the different elements from the social influencing, tradwife and pioneer lifestyle were woven together in a nice arc. There was just something about this one that piqued my interest and I’m so glad I picked it up. This is definitely one that I can see being talked about for sure.
Be sure to add this one to your TBR!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
Natalie is a super popular social media influencer showing off her traditional pioneer lifestyle. Natalie , her husband, Caleb and her six children all live on a massive ranch and live farm to table. To put it simply Natalie is living her best life as a traditional Christian pioneer. At least that is what she wants all of her followers to believe. Behind the scenes everything is choreographed perfectly, and there is additional help in the form of nannies and farm hands and producers to keep things moving smoothly. One morning, Natalie wakes up and something feels off. The house she is in is not her house. Her husband is not her husband and her kids are not her kids. And it appears she has woken up in the 1800s. Natalie is completely discombobulated and confused as am I. We both want to know what the heck happened.
We learned so much about Natalie from the time she goes to college all the way through to waking up in the 1800s. I enjoyed Natalie’s inner monologue at times. She made me snicker , other times she made me absolutely despise her and finally there were times that she was relatable . Don’t get me wrong, she’s still highly unlikable, but she felt real. All the different elements from the social influencing, tradwife and pioneer lifestyle were woven together in a nice arc. There was just something about this one that piqued my interest and I’m so glad I picked it up. This is definitely one that I can see being talked about for sure.
Be sure to add this one to your TBR!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced copy in exchange for an honest review
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January 17, 2026the more i think about this book, the more disappointed i am by it.
i think that upon its release, yesteryear is going to be everywhere — it's going to be the white woman book club pick of choice, i'm sure. it'll probably make for a great movie (although, i'm not sure if i can picture anne hathaway as natalie. not the point though. also, anne hathaway, please call me.) it's also, to me, half-baked, and hollow. and probably ballerina farm lawsuit fodder.
yesteryear is yet another case of "i loved the concept, and i think the execution really fell flat for me." as my dear friend em said in her review, "amongst my crowd however of young, lefty progressive, hater-ish, sometimes nonwhite women reared on the internet, bearing witness to changing social trends and terrible atrocities, i can sense this book raising questions to the end of “who’s this for. what was the point”." i am not the target audience for this book, despite being an early viewer of ballerina farm's content, and countless conversations with my friends about the rise of tradwifeism in today's political climate. and that bums me out a little bit, because yesteryear was one of my most anticipated reads of 2026.
i think burke tries to touch on some of the things that are often talked about in conjunction with conversations about tradwife influencers (whiteness, classism, privilege, religious indoctrination, mental health, child abuse) but all of it feels so very half-baked. i assume this is intentional (whether it's a matter of not pulling focus from the story, because burke doesn't feel equipped to do so, or something else), but frustrating for me, as a reader, to see topics and themes (some of which i care very much about) discussed in a way that feels almost lackadaisical.
i feel like you cannot write a book that is essentially, satirical culture commentary, and then do it in a way that feels half-assed and not well researched. it's a disservice to your story, and to your audience. there's also a conversation here to be had about taking such heavy inspiration from influencers (who yes, choose to put their lives out there on social media) and using it for culture commentary — and the invasiveness of that. just because someone chooses to share their life on social media does not mean they consent to ... that. and i'm not saying we can't critique tradwife influencers (obviously, i think cultural criticism is a good and healthy thing and i think we should engage with all things critically), but the extent that burke seems to draw inspiration from hannah ballerinafarm does make me a little ... weary? again, it almost feels lazy.
in my original review, i wrote that i like my books with more character growth and development than yesteryear contains, and i still stand by that. at the end of yesteryear, it feels like natalie has not progressed since we first met her. which. well, there's a reason for that. little character development + half baked social commentary = a frustrated and unfulfilled reader (me). and i have no problem with reading a book about a main character that i don't agree with, or that i deeply dislike — but i do need something. it almost felt like the opposite of "and ben platt, who played dear, he gave everything" — yesteryear simply gave me ... nothing (but disappointment and frustration).
i think that yesteryear would've been stronger if the last part (or even an epilogue?) was told in someone else's pov — i found myself wanting to know more about natalie's children (particularly, clementine), and what life looked like for them. at the very least, i would have appreciated yesteryear more if some of the other characters (some of who are just as complicit, or if not, worse) were also dealt a similar fate. or if we at least knew what happened to them. and i think if yesteryear was even like, 50 pages longer (and if we had more time to fully flesh out natalie's upbringing/relationship with her faith/relationship with her family/anything else about natalie) it would've felt like a stronger story. natalie's sister was clearly meant to be a foil, but we barely see her and it just ... once again, feels flat.
yesteryear was a hollow book riddled with logical fallacies, and the more i think about it, the more disappointed i am. but once again, i do not think i was the target audience for this book (despite my initial excitement for it). i am also unsure what points burke was trying to make with yesteryear. was i supposed to leave with an increased disdain for tradwife influencers? am i supposed to feel bad for their children? i already do, that's nothing new. am i supposed to simply be entertained? i guess it did capture my attention for the entirety of my flight, but it definitely left me feeling more frustrated than when i started reading it. i'll probably still be seated for the movie. maybe it will translate better as a film! who knows!
i think that upon its release, yesteryear is going to be everywhere — it's going to be the white woman book club pick of choice, i'm sure. it'll probably make for a great movie (although, i'm not sure if i can picture anne hathaway as natalie. not the point though. also, anne hathaway, please call me.) it's also, to me, half-baked, and hollow. and probably ballerina farm lawsuit fodder.
yesteryear is yet another case of "i loved the concept, and i think the execution really fell flat for me." as my dear friend em said in her review, "amongst my crowd however of young, lefty progressive, hater-ish, sometimes nonwhite women reared on the internet, bearing witness to changing social trends and terrible atrocities, i can sense this book raising questions to the end of “who’s this for. what was the point”." i am not the target audience for this book, despite being an early viewer of ballerina farm's content, and countless conversations with my friends about the rise of tradwifeism in today's political climate. and that bums me out a little bit, because yesteryear was one of my most anticipated reads of 2026.
i think burke tries to touch on some of the things that are often talked about in conjunction with conversations about tradwife influencers (whiteness, classism, privilege, religious indoctrination, mental health, child abuse) but all of it feels so very half-baked. i assume this is intentional (whether it's a matter of not pulling focus from the story, because burke doesn't feel equipped to do so, or something else), but frustrating for me, as a reader, to see topics and themes (some of which i care very much about) discussed in a way that feels almost lackadaisical.
i feel like you cannot write a book that is essentially, satirical culture commentary, and then do it in a way that feels half-assed and not well researched. it's a disservice to your story, and to your audience. there's also a conversation here to be had about taking such heavy inspiration from influencers (who yes, choose to put their lives out there on social media) and using it for culture commentary — and the invasiveness of that. just because someone chooses to share their life on social media does not mean they consent to ... that. and i'm not saying we can't critique tradwife influencers (obviously, i think cultural criticism is a good and healthy thing and i think we should engage with all things critically), but the extent that burke seems to draw inspiration from hannah ballerinafarm does make me a little ... weary? again, it almost feels lazy.
in my original review, i wrote that i like my books with more character growth and development than yesteryear contains, and i still stand by that. at the end of yesteryear, it feels like natalie has not progressed since we first met her. which. well, there's a reason for that. little character development + half baked social commentary = a frustrated and unfulfilled reader (me). and i have no problem with reading a book about a main character that i don't agree with, or that i deeply dislike — but i do need something. it almost felt like the opposite of "and ben platt, who played dear, he gave everything" — yesteryear simply gave me ... nothing (but disappointment and frustration).
i think that yesteryear would've been stronger if the last part (or even an epilogue?) was told in someone else's pov — i found myself wanting to know more about natalie's children (particularly, clementine), and what life looked like for them. at the very least, i would have appreciated yesteryear more if some of the other characters (some of who are just as complicit, or if not, worse) were also dealt a similar fate. or if we at least knew what happened to them. and i think if yesteryear was even like, 50 pages longer (and if we had more time to fully flesh out natalie's upbringing/relationship with her faith/relationship with her family/anything else about natalie) it would've felt like a stronger story. natalie's sister was clearly meant to be a foil, but we barely see her and it just ... once again, feels flat.
yesteryear was a hollow book riddled with logical fallacies, and the more i think about it, the more disappointed i am. but once again, i do not think i was the target audience for this book (despite my initial excitement for it). i am also unsure what points burke was trying to make with yesteryear. was i supposed to leave with an increased disdain for tradwife influencers? am i supposed to feel bad for their children? i already do, that's nothing new. am i supposed to simply be entertained? i guess it did capture my attention for the entirety of my flight, but it definitely left me feeling more frustrated than when i started reading it. i'll probably still be seated for the movie. maybe it will translate better as a film! who knows!
March 9, 2026
if there’s one word to explain this it would be: UNIQUE. i can honestly say i’ve never read anything like it! as a gal who reads A LOT, that is always a fun experience. but i think all the early hype messed with my expectations a bit bc i wanted to love it but find myself in the “like” category.
this already has a 🎬 in development with Anne Hathaway as the star and tbh, i can picture it perfectly! i am actually really excited to see this come to life.
what it’s about: a mommy influencer has a ranch and captivates viewers with her off the grid, organic lifestyle. she is a woman of god and has a ton of kids. but it’s of course all just a show. and then one day she wakes up and is in the 1800s/pioneer days. what happened????!!!
all in all, this was fun! it was different and entertaining and had me hooked from the start and i wanted to see how it would end. i think this will be a hit with book clubs when it’s out, it would be so fun to chat w others about!
pros: it grabs you immediately, it’s unique, it’s funny/has lots of satire, it explores the fake messy world of an influencer, it touches (a LOT) on the messed up gender roles in society, the ending was bananas
where it missed for me:
- the pacing—the middle 60% was kinda repetitive tbh! i was in it to see wtf was the twist and what happened and was shocked by it, but it felt too long to get there and left me wanting another 40 pages to wrap it up
- Natalie. omg i’ve never despised a character so much low key. and there was no character growth at the end!!! i know this is maybe by design but woof she was hard to read and root for
- the religion talk was a lot for my personal taste
thanks to Knopf for the early copy! this debut is out in April and will definitely be the talk of the town 🐓
this already has a 🎬 in development with Anne Hathaway as the star and tbh, i can picture it perfectly! i am actually really excited to see this come to life.
what it’s about: a mommy influencer has a ranch and captivates viewers with her off the grid, organic lifestyle. she is a woman of god and has a ton of kids. but it’s of course all just a show. and then one day she wakes up and is in the 1800s/pioneer days. what happened????!!!
all in all, this was fun! it was different and entertaining and had me hooked from the start and i wanted to see how it would end. i think this will be a hit with book clubs when it’s out, it would be so fun to chat w others about!
pros: it grabs you immediately, it’s unique, it’s funny/has lots of satire, it explores the fake messy world of an influencer, it touches (a LOT) on the messed up gender roles in society, the ending was bananas
where it missed for me:
- the pacing—the middle 60% was kinda repetitive tbh! i was in it to see wtf was the twist and what happened and was shocked by it, but it felt too long to get there and left me wanting another 40 pages to wrap it up
- Natalie. omg i’ve never despised a character so much low key. and there was no character growth at the end!!! i know this is maybe by design but woof she was hard to read and root for
- the religion talk was a lot for my personal taste
thanks to Knopf for the early copy! this debut is out in April and will definitely be the talk of the town 🐓
March 13, 2026
This was a novel that caught me by surprise and I could not put it down! It is mysterious, emotional, tense and incredibly unique. It is definitely not a one genre book. It was suspenseful, historical, dark, literary and even comical. It comes with a time slip, a trad wife and an enticing plot. It’s a medium paced book that is character driven. I think that when this book comes out, everyone is going to be talking about it! It’s a one of a kind story that I will be thinking about for a very long time! It is simply unforgettable. All in all, I give this book a 5 out of 5 star rating!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Caro Claire Burke and Penguin Random House / Knopf for this wonderful eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is set to be published on April 7, 2026!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Caro Claire Burke and Penguin Random House / Knopf for this wonderful eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is set to be published on April 7, 2026!
November 25, 2025
Yesteryear is a feat! A book with a narrator that is impossible to look away from.
To her millions of followers, Natalie is living a perfect life as a loving wife and doting mother, living with her family on a ranch, upholding and then in turn selling her pioneer lifestyle. Most would call her a tradwife—someone who embraces traditional/conservative gender roles.
One day, with no warning at all, she finds herself transported back in time to the harsh reality of 1805, where she must actually perform this role, in order to survive. She has no idea how she got to this version of her life, in which she is with her husband and children, but they are strangers to her. Neither does she know how to escape and return to the life she had so carefully chosen for herself.
What is especially interesting about Natalie is that, while on the surface, she works very hard to be perceived one way, nothing is hidden from the reader. Through her internal monologue, we see her for who she really is. And she is…awful. Conniving, miserable, relentless. Brilliant, too. She is, as promised, perfect at curating and living her life.
As we continue to live alongside social media, the ramifications of creating an “online self” are beginning to surface. Yes, we can utilize this world to obtain a life that we want for ourselves, but at what cost? It is never only ourselves who pay the price.
Yesteryear is out in April— it is a must-read, one of the best books I’ll read in 2026, already (well…you know what I mean!)
Thank you to the publisher for the early review copy, in exchange for an honest review!
To her millions of followers, Natalie is living a perfect life as a loving wife and doting mother, living with her family on a ranch, upholding and then in turn selling her pioneer lifestyle. Most would call her a tradwife—someone who embraces traditional/conservative gender roles.
One day, with no warning at all, she finds herself transported back in time to the harsh reality of 1805, where she must actually perform this role, in order to survive. She has no idea how she got to this version of her life, in which she is with her husband and children, but they are strangers to her. Neither does she know how to escape and return to the life she had so carefully chosen for herself.
What is especially interesting about Natalie is that, while on the surface, she works very hard to be perceived one way, nothing is hidden from the reader. Through her internal monologue, we see her for who she really is. And she is…awful. Conniving, miserable, relentless. Brilliant, too. She is, as promised, perfect at curating and living her life.
As we continue to live alongside social media, the ramifications of creating an “online self” are beginning to surface. Yes, we can utilize this world to obtain a life that we want for ourselves, but at what cost? It is never only ourselves who pay the price.
Yesteryear is out in April— it is a must-read, one of the best books I’ll read in 2026, already (well…you know what I mean!)
Thank you to the publisher for the early review copy, in exchange for an honest review!
January 15, 2026
(free review copy) What in the ACTUAL tradwife MAGA MAHA conservative Christian manosphere clusterf*ck social media world do we live in that makes this bonkers book seem so REAL?
The marketing copy I received for this book described it perfectly when it mentioned something about how this is a book that needs to be published right now. This is the time for this book. And that makes it even more disturbing. I was absolutely riveted with the story, thoroughly disturbed, but couldn’t look away.
Source: free digital review copy from publisher
The marketing copy I received for this book described it perfectly when it mentioned something about how this is a book that needs to be published right now. This is the time for this book. And that makes it even more disturbing. I was absolutely riveted with the story, thoroughly disturbed, but couldn’t look away.
Source: free digital review copy from publisher
March 1, 2026
This book will be heavily discussed when it releases in 2026, and rightfully so.
What a whirlwind Yesteryear is. I've never read anything quite like it.
It’s Caro Claire’s debut novel, and Anne Hathaway is already set to star in the upcoming Amazon adaptation.
I went in expecting a heavy dose of magical realism (it's not at all), a big what if: what if a white Christian nationalist whose main goals in life are to get married, make babies, and live off the land (and who also happens to be a major social media influencer) suddenly wakes up in 1806?
But what happens next isn’t quite what you’d expect.
Before reading this, I had no idea who Ballerina Farmer was. She’s an influencer with 10 million Instagram followers who documents her daily farm life, from milking cows to performing pirouettes on acres of farmland. It’s clear that Burke drew inspiration from her when writing Yesteryear.
“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.”
The main character, Natalie, has more kids than she can handle, is pregnant with another, and is married into a political family that claims to uphold “traditional American values.” You get the idea.
“This is a wholesome, traditional Aryan wife.”
I’ve already seen some people complain that the author is “too liberal,” but they’re not complaining about the fact that people still talk like this today.
I’ve never read anything quite like this. It’s a sharp reflection of what’s happening in America right now, a deep dive into morality, identity, and who gets to decide whose values are “better.” (Spoiler: definitely not the current administration.)
“Liars. Every Christian woman I ever met had been a big fat lying bastard. Lord have mercy on their big fat lying bastard souls.”
“Good Christian women were great at worrying. They were not, however, good at confrontation. But good Christian men? Born for it.”
Now let’s talk about the ending. No spoilers, but trust me, some readers will love it, some will hate it, and others (like me) will wonder if it even makes sense. Either way, get ready, this book is going to be the topic of conversation when it hits shelves on April 7, 2026.
What a whirlwind Yesteryear is. I've never read anything quite like it.
It’s Caro Claire’s debut novel, and Anne Hathaway is already set to star in the upcoming Amazon adaptation.
I went in expecting a heavy dose of magical realism (it's not at all), a big what if: what if a white Christian nationalist whose main goals in life are to get married, make babies, and live off the land (and who also happens to be a major social media influencer) suddenly wakes up in 1806?
But what happens next isn’t quite what you’d expect.
Before reading this, I had no idea who Ballerina Farmer was. She’s an influencer with 10 million Instagram followers who documents her daily farm life, from milking cows to performing pirouettes on acres of farmland. It’s clear that Burke drew inspiration from her when writing Yesteryear.
“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.”
The main character, Natalie, has more kids than she can handle, is pregnant with another, and is married into a political family that claims to uphold “traditional American values.” You get the idea.
“This is a wholesome, traditional Aryan wife.”
I’ve already seen some people complain that the author is “too liberal,” but they’re not complaining about the fact that people still talk like this today.
I’ve never read anything quite like this. It’s a sharp reflection of what’s happening in America right now, a deep dive into morality, identity, and who gets to decide whose values are “better.” (Spoiler: definitely not the current administration.)
“Liars. Every Christian woman I ever met had been a big fat lying bastard. Lord have mercy on their big fat lying bastard souls.”
“Good Christian women were great at worrying. They were not, however, good at confrontation. But good Christian men? Born for it.”
Now let’s talk about the ending. No spoilers, but trust me, some readers will love it, some will hate it, and others (like me) will wonder if it even makes sense. Either way, get ready, this book is going to be the topic of conversation when it hits shelves on April 7, 2026.
December 8, 2025
Over the next few years we will start seeing a surge in the market of “trad wife” and “influencer mommy” stereotypes. This will not only be children who are regaining their autonomy through their own stories and memoirs but fictionalized cases as well. Yesteryear is one of the first and it is going to be incredibly difficult to beat.
We have our incredibly unlikeable trad mommy influencer Natalie and her just desserts spread for the world and readers to see. It is incredibly difficult writing a villainous protagonist while keeping readers engaged but Burke did this balancing act with ease. I felt invested while also on the edge of my seat to the train wreck that I knew was inevitable, and trust me, she did not disappoint.
I could write a spoiler filled review but I truly believe this is a book you should go into with as little synopsis as possible and just enjoy the outcome because it was masterful. So I’ll leave you guys with this cookie, this trad wife gets everything coming to her and more and the ending is spectacular. After all, it is feminism that allows you to be a trad wife while also exploiting your children online for money and pocketing that cash in your own bank account.
We have our incredibly unlikeable trad mommy influencer Natalie and her just desserts spread for the world and readers to see. It is incredibly difficult writing a villainous protagonist while keeping readers engaged but Burke did this balancing act with ease. I felt invested while also on the edge of my seat to the train wreck that I knew was inevitable, and trust me, she did not disappoint.
I could write a spoiler filled review but I truly believe this is a book you should go into with as little synopsis as possible and just enjoy the outcome because it was masterful. So I’ll leave you guys with this cookie, this trad wife gets everything coming to her and more and the ending is spectacular. After all, it is feminism that allows you to be a trad wife while also exploiting your children online for money and pocketing that cash in your own bank account.
January 14, 2026
this was so fun! such great commentary on the tradwife movement / religious fundamentalism and just an entertaining read. full review soon.
thank you 4th estate for the advanced copy <3
thank you 4th estate for the advanced copy <3
March 2, 2026
Wow, I haven’t read a book that quickly and desperately in a long time! What a twisty, unhinged and captivating story that was. Truly felt cinematic. I laughed out loud and cringed many times. Thank you so much to the punisher for the review copy! More detailed review to come.
December 8, 2025
Everyone’s gonna read this book.
I didn’t say everyone’s gonna love this book, I said everyone’s gonna read it. Because it’s explosive, it’s surprising, it might even be triggering for some of you. And EVERYONE is going to be talking about it.
What about me? I loved it. I was absolutely INVESTED in this highly original story. If you like an unlikable, unreliable narrator you will want to add this to your TBR immediately.
It’s about a tradwife influencer, her husband Caleb is from an influential, rich, political republican family. Natalie comes from a humble single mother and grows up evangelical, but still ends up at Harvard. Her ambition and fierce controlling personality is a recipe for becoming a success. She is manipulative and driven and it’s so easy to be drawn into her mind.
The story is set up when we are aware of her success and farm life, although she employs a producer and two nannies. The farm is designed to look like an authentic old farm but if you peel back the curtain you will see “made in China” stickers and top of the line appliances. Natalie is selling a lifestyle.
One day she wakes up and her house is like her house but different- her husband and kids are similar to her kids but just a bit different. And the year is 1805. Now she has to try to live the lifestyle without the modern conveniences and the performance.
The ending was creative and hit me between the eyes like a two by four. Let’s just say it was not what I was expecting and I think a lot of people are gonna be mad about the ending. And other people are going to love it as much as I did.
Every year I call a title “the book everyone is going to read”- last year I called it Broken Country and the year before The Measure. In 2026 that book is Yesteryear.
Can’t wait for the movie. Oooh I loved to hate Natalie!
Thanks to NetGalley and AA Knopf for the ARC. Book to be published April 6, 2026.
I didn’t say everyone’s gonna love this book, I said everyone’s gonna read it. Because it’s explosive, it’s surprising, it might even be triggering for some of you. And EVERYONE is going to be talking about it.
What about me? I loved it. I was absolutely INVESTED in this highly original story. If you like an unlikable, unreliable narrator you will want to add this to your TBR immediately.
It’s about a tradwife influencer, her husband Caleb is from an influential, rich, political republican family. Natalie comes from a humble single mother and grows up evangelical, but still ends up at Harvard. Her ambition and fierce controlling personality is a recipe for becoming a success. She is manipulative and driven and it’s so easy to be drawn into her mind.
The story is set up when we are aware of her success and farm life, although she employs a producer and two nannies. The farm is designed to look like an authentic old farm but if you peel back the curtain you will see “made in China” stickers and top of the line appliances. Natalie is selling a lifestyle.
One day she wakes up and her house is like her house but different- her husband and kids are similar to her kids but just a bit different. And the year is 1805. Now she has to try to live the lifestyle without the modern conveniences and the performance.
The ending was creative and hit me between the eyes like a two by four. Let’s just say it was not what I was expecting and I think a lot of people are gonna be mad about the ending. And other people are going to love it as much as I did.
Every year I call a title “the book everyone is going to read”- last year I called it Broken Country and the year before The Measure. In 2026 that book is Yesteryear.
Can’t wait for the movie. Oooh I loved to hate Natalie!
Thanks to NetGalley and AA Knopf for the ARC. Book to be published April 6, 2026.
March 11, 2026
4.5 stars
Influencer Natalie Heller Mills, is all for the natural life. She advocates raw milk, grows her own food, gathers eggs from "the girls" and is married to a handsome man, has six children, and portrays a woman who has and does it all.
However, hidden away where none can see are the nannies, the modern appliances, and help on the ranch where she resides having the seemingly perfect life. Her children are an integral part of her influencing and she uses them to her best advantage.
But through a quirk or dream or maybe a nightmare,, Natalie is throw back into the past of the 1800s and although things around her are familiar they are slightly different. She awakens in a world she is ill equipped to deal with, a world where she is required to do all the things she supposedly knew how to do sans the modern equipment, the heating and cooling systems, and the expectations of being a pioneer woman. Like the song once said she needs to get out of this place.
Means of escape seem to be limited as when she initially tried, she suffers a devastating injury, but there must be a way. Her once amazing life seems a distant dream but was it all an illusion?
This book is strange but well written and alluring. I was hooked into it.
January 24, 2026
This book has NO business being as good as it is! What nerve! The gall! First of all, it contains such timely, trendy, and relevant subject matter — the tradwife movement, social media and influencing, streaming “reality,” family vlogging, being Extremely Online, internet subcultures, conspiracy theories, trolling and cyberabuse, political and cultural divides centered around social and identity issues, etc. — that it did not even NEED to be good to draw an intrigued audience. Even doubters would likely have been curious about it! Second, this book has accordingly been super-hyped in advance of release: however do you live up to such hype?! Third, there is such a GLUT of fashionable books about social media and influencing antics these days: how does a new entry into that field compete and differentiate itself? And finally: WHAT do you mean this is a debut novel; how can that be?
This book came on scene with a lot of factors automatically in its favor and many factors that could have contributed to its undoing, but it somehow managed to balance everything out and clear all hurdles. I found this book excellent throughout and incredibly entertaining. There was just enough tension, realism, and humor, all in good measure, so that returning to the book always seemed appealing and it pulled and kept me in once I got there. I never not wanted to be reading it; I was reluctant to set it aside and eager to pick it back up. It felt different and fresh and it did not disappoint.
While it critically references or satirizes current social trends and problematic phenomena, I don’t think this is necessarily a super deep Issues Book, capitalized. But it’s still very smart, witty, fun, and keeps your brain stimulated as you try to figure out the puzzle of what in the world is happening.
The author is a fantastic, imaginative, stylish, and energetic writer, and she brings the story to life with a lot of engaging characters, especially the main character and first-person narrator, Natalie. Call her an unlikable female protagonist or whatever your preferred term is — she’s certainly unreliable and very often nasty, an awful calculating villain at worst and a troubled victimized antihero at best — but her questionable character and distorted perspective sure make for compelling reading regardless! She presents a fine example of something like “the character you love to hate.” She is giving some major Walter White energy here. And perhaps this indicates something wrong with me, but I did not find Natalie 100% unsympathetic, despite how truly horrible she can be.
Another feat this book accomplishes is managing to remain equally interesting while switching back and forth between “past” and “present” chapters. I was into both narrative threads and happy to read either as I encountered them. I think this is fairly rare: often there is one thread you end up liking more and another you kind of tolerate just to get back to the other one. Of course, Nasty Natalie is the uniting and diverting factor here between both!
I have read some minor critiques of the book’s ending. I had a different impression. I just didn’t think it was all that messy. Sure, trying out a new stunt might affect the initial dismount. The Wright Brothers landed their first aircraft on sled-like skid runners, not wheels. I wasn’t there, but my impression is that it probably looked a little bit different, but still worked. I think the author lands this one just fine, and she also effectively weaves back together the two Now and Then narrative threads. And she’s just a darn fine writer — again, like how can this be her first book?
I don’t want to give any more specific comps, even though there are some I’m bursting to mention, because I don’t want to give anything away. This book is a winner: people are talking about it now a few months prior to publication, and I predict they will still be talking about it at the end of this year. I hear a rumor there is a film version already in the works (appropriately featuring an actress once slapped with an “unlikable” label herself). And, like a prosperity gospel-manifesting tradwife, this book Deserves It All.
My gratitude to the author, NetGalley, and Penguin Random House/Knopf for providing an ARC to review Yesteryear, due out on April 7, 2026!
This book came on scene with a lot of factors automatically in its favor and many factors that could have contributed to its undoing, but it somehow managed to balance everything out and clear all hurdles. I found this book excellent throughout and incredibly entertaining. There was just enough tension, realism, and humor, all in good measure, so that returning to the book always seemed appealing and it pulled and kept me in once I got there. I never not wanted to be reading it; I was reluctant to set it aside and eager to pick it back up. It felt different and fresh and it did not disappoint.
While it critically references or satirizes current social trends and problematic phenomena, I don’t think this is necessarily a super deep Issues Book, capitalized. But it’s still very smart, witty, fun, and keeps your brain stimulated as you try to figure out the puzzle of what in the world is happening.
The author is a fantastic, imaginative, stylish, and energetic writer, and she brings the story to life with a lot of engaging characters, especially the main character and first-person narrator, Natalie. Call her an unlikable female protagonist or whatever your preferred term is — she’s certainly unreliable and very often nasty, an awful calculating villain at worst and a troubled victimized antihero at best — but her questionable character and distorted perspective sure make for compelling reading regardless! She presents a fine example of something like “the character you love to hate.” She is giving some major Walter White energy here. And perhaps this indicates something wrong with me, but I did not find Natalie 100% unsympathetic, despite how truly horrible she can be.
Another feat this book accomplishes is managing to remain equally interesting while switching back and forth between “past” and “present” chapters. I was into both narrative threads and happy to read either as I encountered them. I think this is fairly rare: often there is one thread you end up liking more and another you kind of tolerate just to get back to the other one. Of course, Nasty Natalie is the uniting and diverting factor here between both!
I have read some minor critiques of the book’s ending. I had a different impression. I just didn’t think it was all that messy. Sure, trying out a new stunt might affect the initial dismount. The Wright Brothers landed their first aircraft on sled-like skid runners, not wheels. I wasn’t there, but my impression is that it probably looked a little bit different, but still worked. I think the author lands this one just fine, and she also effectively weaves back together the two Now and Then narrative threads. And she’s just a darn fine writer — again, like how can this be her first book?
I don’t want to give any more specific comps, even though there are some I’m bursting to mention, because I don’t want to give anything away. This book is a winner: people are talking about it now a few months prior to publication, and I predict they will still be talking about it at the end of this year. I hear a rumor there is a film version already in the works (appropriately featuring an actress once slapped with an “unlikable” label herself). And, like a prosperity gospel-manifesting tradwife, this book Deserves It All.
My gratitude to the author, NetGalley, and Penguin Random House/Knopf for providing an ARC to review Yesteryear, due out on April 7, 2026!
October 13, 2025
What a fascinating and thought provoking look at the made up world of a social media influencer trying to profit from her seemingly perfect life on a perfect farm with the perfect husband and children. A searing commentary on the "trad wife esthetic" that so many people are enamored with. A five star read for this fantastic debut author.
March 13, 2026
YESTERYEAR
By Caro Claire Burke
Behind every perfectly curated life is a reality waiting to crack.
In this debut darkly satirical psychological novel, we meet Natalie Heller Mills, a social media “tradwife” influencer known for promoting a nostalgic, “perfect” lifestyle online.
But when her carefully curated image begins to crack, she’s forced to confront the reality behind it. One day Natalie awakens in the year 1805, living a life that isn’t hers—a living nightmare, a hoax, or something more sinister? Yesteryear explores social media culture and the tension between appearance and reality with a sharp mix of satire, humor, and psychological insight.
This isn’t like any book I’ve read before. I’m not really into social media; however, I still found myself absorbed in this bizarre world of Natalie and her family. The steady pacing and sharp, satirical writing create a darkly humorous and unsettling look at curated online lives.
The characters (except for the kids) are not very likable. I love an unreliable protagonist, and Natalie definitely does not disappoint. She has a childlike outlook and constantly misreads others, leading to moments that are strange, darkly funny, and unsettling. I was surprised by the ending and felt it left me with a few questions that weren’t fully addressed.
If you enjoy unreliable, selfish, and flawed characters, you’ll probably appreciate what Yesteryear offers. I look forward to what this talented author has to share with us next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House | Knopf for the eARC.
Publish Date: April 7, 2026
Now being adapted into a major film starring Anne Hathaway.
By Caro Claire Burke
Behind every perfectly curated life is a reality waiting to crack.
In this debut darkly satirical psychological novel, we meet Natalie Heller Mills, a social media “tradwife” influencer known for promoting a nostalgic, “perfect” lifestyle online.
But when her carefully curated image begins to crack, she’s forced to confront the reality behind it. One day Natalie awakens in the year 1805, living a life that isn’t hers—a living nightmare, a hoax, or something more sinister? Yesteryear explores social media culture and the tension between appearance and reality with a sharp mix of satire, humor, and psychological insight.
This isn’t like any book I’ve read before. I’m not really into social media; however, I still found myself absorbed in this bizarre world of Natalie and her family. The steady pacing and sharp, satirical writing create a darkly humorous and unsettling look at curated online lives.
The characters (except for the kids) are not very likable. I love an unreliable protagonist, and Natalie definitely does not disappoint. She has a childlike outlook and constantly misreads others, leading to moments that are strange, darkly funny, and unsettling. I was surprised by the ending and felt it left me with a few questions that weren’t fully addressed.
If you enjoy unreliable, selfish, and flawed characters, you’ll probably appreciate what Yesteryear offers. I look forward to what this talented author has to share with us next.
Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House | Knopf for the eARC.
Publish Date: April 7, 2026
Now being adapted into a major film starring Anne Hathaway.
December 2, 2025
i’m gagged this was so good
Read
November 22, 2025Everyone is going to be talking about this when it drops
November 28, 2025
DNF
I gave this a solid try but decided to ditch it after 150 pages and skim the rest. And I have zero regrets.
Maybe I went into this with the wrong expectations... I'm not big on social media (I even had to google what a 'tradwife' is...), and was most looking forward to the part of the main character, Natalie, waking up in 1800s Idaho and being forced to live the real lifestyle that she tries so hard to emulate on her socials. It soon became apparent that these parts were not the focus of the book, with lengthier chapters dedicated to her past, and the 1800s felt so bland and lacking in any solid historical detail or even descriptions of her surroundings. Judging from the 'big' reveal, I now see why. The book's main focus is on Natalie's struggles with motherhood and a dumb husband who she soon regrets marrying, and I just couldn't quite bring myself to care about any of it.
This will undoubtedly be a big release for 2026, and I'm sure an even bigger film with Anne Hathaway already set to star, but it wasn't for me.
I gave this a solid try but decided to ditch it after 150 pages and skim the rest. And I have zero regrets.
Maybe I went into this with the wrong expectations... I'm not big on social media (I even had to google what a 'tradwife' is...), and was most looking forward to the part of the main character, Natalie, waking up in 1800s Idaho and being forced to live the real lifestyle that she tries so hard to emulate on her socials. It soon became apparent that these parts were not the focus of the book, with lengthier chapters dedicated to her past, and the 1800s felt so bland and lacking in any solid historical detail or even descriptions of her surroundings. Judging from the 'big' reveal, I now see why. The book's main focus is on Natalie's struggles with motherhood and a dumb husband who she soon regrets marrying, and I just couldn't quite bring myself to care about any of it.
This will undoubtedly be a big release for 2026, and I'm sure an even bigger film with Anne Hathaway already set to star, but it wasn't for me.
February 20, 2026
3.5…I don’t need to like my main character, but I do need to find them interesting. I didn’t find Natalie very interesting; she was flat and a caricature. That’s likely intentional commentary on women needing to put ourselves in boxes, making authenticity very very difficult. The ending jumps the shark a bit, but this was a quick, entertaining read sure to be everywhere when it publishes.
Read
February 3, 2026never before have i been an early reader for what probably is the cleanest candidate for a runaway hit debut novel. celeb book clubs? seated. nyt bestseller list? practically guaranteed.
so for the second time in a row somehow, my thoughts on a novel are going to be lengthier than usual. i’m surprised too. consider this part review part cultural commentary i guess. or don’t. im the most chill and normal woman in the lobotomy waiting room
i’m not going to pretend i didn’t enjoy this book and absolutely tear through the back half in essentially one sitting. i think caro claire burke has a really precise handle on this lead character’s internal monologue and it manifests in very funny and true-to-feeling (if not true-to-life) ways. while heightened, i’m sure there are people in america right now who believe in these supposed values and aesthetics theories in a more or less diluted form. that’s the satire, yes. let us all laugh at what we know together. perhaps a catharsis will be reached.
so. this will probably be a big book next year when it comes out, esp among the middle-ish aged, liberal, (overwhelmingly female) book club demographic; the ones whose previous selections are comprised of kristen hannah, michelle obama’s memoir and maybe demon copperhead. they’ll eat it up. they’ll have a ton of fun (as i did, truly).
amongst my crowd however of young, lefty progressive, hater-ish, sometimes nonwhite women reared on the internet, bearing witness to changing social trends and terrible atrocities, i can sense this book raising questions to the end of “who’s this for. what was the point”.
because indeed the book pulls some punches. in what i imagine must be a deliberate choice, it purposefully doesn’t interface with race in any meaningful way. the part time latin ranch workers exist on the periphery of the lead’s life, which i must emphasize does feel true to character and the conceptions we have of these trad internet personalities. tradwife discourse has structural hooks in white supremacy of course while somewhat paradoxically being led by nara smith. the book i think purposefully stays away from addressing that cognitive dissonance. it wouldn’t be surprising to me if burke didn’t know how to unpack that, how relatively repulsive she wanted her lead to be.
natalie, Thee tradwife, marries into right wing political dynasty when she’s nineteen. when she finds success in later years, she agrees to be used as a prop in the patriarch’s umpteenth demagogic presidential campaign. her typical college growing pains are exacerbated by her deep rooted rigidity and imo her rejection of other women. her relationship with her daughters is the most interesting part of the book. she’s not likable. compels me though.
i guess in some way i’m still left examining the following:
what does caro claire burke want a reader to take from the book. and “The Reader” is not a homogenous set of opinions. your book clubs will be entertained. your me’s will think. but what about the people who genuinely engage with trad content on its presented terms? the book comes down definitively on it being a net-negative, but i’m not sure it would actually persuade anyone to change their opinion of anything. and forget the actual trad content creators. i cannot imagine them touching this book with a ten foot pole. i think for them to acknowledge it would be akin to breaking kayfabe.
i think i also would have liked to spend more time in the world of the book’s ending. if you’ve read it, you know what i’m referring to. i almost think that tara westover’s educated is a good pairing with this.
thank you to netgalley for the advance copy.
so for the second time in a row somehow, my thoughts on a novel are going to be lengthier than usual. i’m surprised too. consider this part review part cultural commentary i guess. or don’t. im the most chill and normal woman in the lobotomy waiting room
i’m not going to pretend i didn’t enjoy this book and absolutely tear through the back half in essentially one sitting. i think caro claire burke has a really precise handle on this lead character’s internal monologue and it manifests in very funny and true-to-feeling (if not true-to-life) ways. while heightened, i’m sure there are people in america right now who believe in these supposed values and aesthetics theories in a more or less diluted form. that’s the satire, yes. let us all laugh at what we know together. perhaps a catharsis will be reached.
so. this will probably be a big book next year when it comes out, esp among the middle-ish aged, liberal, (overwhelmingly female) book club demographic; the ones whose previous selections are comprised of kristen hannah, michelle obama’s memoir and maybe demon copperhead. they’ll eat it up. they’ll have a ton of fun (as i did, truly).
amongst my crowd however of young, lefty progressive, hater-ish, sometimes nonwhite women reared on the internet, bearing witness to changing social trends and terrible atrocities, i can sense this book raising questions to the end of “who’s this for. what was the point”.
because indeed the book pulls some punches. in what i imagine must be a deliberate choice, it purposefully doesn’t interface with race in any meaningful way. the part time latin ranch workers exist on the periphery of the lead’s life, which i must emphasize does feel true to character and the conceptions we have of these trad internet personalities. tradwife discourse has structural hooks in white supremacy of course while somewhat paradoxically being led by nara smith. the book i think purposefully stays away from addressing that cognitive dissonance. it wouldn’t be surprising to me if burke didn’t know how to unpack that, how relatively repulsive she wanted her lead to be.
natalie, Thee tradwife, marries into right wing political dynasty when she’s nineteen. when she finds success in later years, she agrees to be used as a prop in the patriarch’s umpteenth demagogic presidential campaign. her typical college growing pains are exacerbated by her deep rooted rigidity and imo her rejection of other women. her relationship with her daughters is the most interesting part of the book. she’s not likable. compels me though.
i guess in some way i’m still left examining the following:
what does caro claire burke want a reader to take from the book. and “The Reader” is not a homogenous set of opinions. your book clubs will be entertained. your me’s will think. but what about the people who genuinely engage with trad content on its presented terms? the book comes down definitively on it being a net-negative, but i’m not sure it would actually persuade anyone to change their opinion of anything. and forget the actual trad content creators. i cannot imagine them touching this book with a ten foot pole. i think for them to acknowledge it would be akin to breaking kayfabe.
i think i also would have liked to spend more time in the world of the book’s ending. if you’ve read it, you know what i’m referring to. i almost think that tara westover’s educated is a good pairing with this.
thank you to netgalley for the advance copy.
June 4, 2025
I really liked the premise of this book: trad wife influencer goes off the rails with her sham farming lifestyle and...let's face it, child abuse (putting kids in front of the camera against their will). This was a VERY unlikeable main character with little to no redeeming qualities. In fact, other than her kids, NO ONE in this book was likeable, they all were either complicit in the delusion, or also in it just for themselves.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I really enjoyed this fast-paced read about Natalie, a trad wife influencer raising five kids with her husband in a farm in Idaho. Occasionally she finds herself in a 1800s setting with a man who might be her husband but not really, and in a life where her social media aesthetic of doing everything from scratch is a reality.
What to expect?
- fast paced read.
- BTS life of a successful trad wife influencer. I really enjoyed how the book bares down the work that goes behind the scenes in an influencer household. The couple hire farm help, nannies, producer and other staff to run their life, but not necessarily reveal it to their audience who aspire for this kind of domestic bliss. There are strong NDAs in place and a strong legal team. Natalie's husband comes from a family with lots of money and problems vanish away, unlike a regular household.
- I loved the commercialization of the American dream. Natalie sells her lifestyle and merch to make money. She hires people who conceptualize her every day for the camera to satisfy social media algorithms. She learns marketing through online courses from other influencers.
- It was greatly interesting to see how much of life really depends on who has money. I enjoyed reading about the deals Natalie strikes with her rich father in law who hopes to run for the presidential election. It was also interesting to read how she loses individual stake in the money she earns and needs to keep it in a joint LLC.
- There are lots of small subplots that take you through the minds of conspiracy theorists, redditors, politicians who twist narratives for votes, Christian influencers, churches vs personal beliefs.
- I enjoyed the part where Natalie is always comparing herself with her college friend who finished her degree and took up a job (which Natalie looks down upon. When she starts working an internship instead of the domestic bliss that Natalie (who dropped out of college after marriage) chose, Natalie brands her a failure. Yet in spite of thinking that her college friend has not made it, the comparison keeps popping in Nat's mind, even though they are not in touch. This was enlightening since Natalie has made it in the trad wife sense, and the friend has made it to her goals in a traditional career sense. Women pitting women against each other in the mind was interesting.
- Gotta love a crew of unlikeable characters.
- I absolutely LOVED how the two timelines merged.
What I wanted more?
- I wished we saw more of what the children felt when their days are constantly being filmed, right from the beginning of the novel. The book addresses this towards the end.
- Natalie reveals a lot about herself—her ambitions, her dreams, her inner monologue, her insecurities, her plan of life, yet I felt like I didn't know her much? I kind of enjoyed this aspect because it aligns with a social media persona; we know so much, they reveal a lot, yet it feels like we do not know much.
- The ending felt rushed and abrupt.
- I wasn't convinced why Natalie simply didn't fire the new producer who was prodding into her life and gathering evidence to disprove her social media life.
Who might not enjoy it?
Probably trad wife influencers?
Overall, great read to pick up in 2026!
Thank you to the publisher for an ARC. All opinions are my own
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What to expect?
- fast paced read.
- BTS life of a successful trad wife influencer. I really enjoyed how the book bares down the work that goes behind the scenes in an influencer household. The couple hire farm help, nannies, producer and other staff to run their life, but not necessarily reveal it to their audience who aspire for this kind of domestic bliss. There are strong NDAs in place and a strong legal team. Natalie's husband comes from a family with lots of money and problems vanish away, unlike a regular household.
- I loved the commercialization of the American dream. Natalie sells her lifestyle and merch to make money. She hires people who conceptualize her every day for the camera to satisfy social media algorithms. She learns marketing through online courses from other influencers.
- It was greatly interesting to see how much of life really depends on who has money. I enjoyed reading about the deals Natalie strikes with her rich father in law who hopes to run for the presidential election. It was also interesting to read how she loses individual stake in the money she earns and needs to keep it in a joint LLC.
- There are lots of small subplots that take you through the minds of conspiracy theorists, redditors, politicians who twist narratives for votes, Christian influencers, churches vs personal beliefs.
- I enjoyed the part where Natalie is always comparing herself with her college friend who finished her degree and took up a job (which Natalie looks down upon. When she starts working an internship instead of the domestic bliss that Natalie (who dropped out of college after marriage) chose, Natalie brands her a failure. Yet in spite of thinking that her college friend has not made it, the comparison keeps popping in Nat's mind, even though they are not in touch. This was enlightening since Natalie has made it in the trad wife sense, and the friend has made it to her goals in a traditional career sense. Women pitting women against each other in the mind was interesting.
- Gotta love a crew of unlikeable characters.
- I absolutely LOVED how the two timelines merged.
What I wanted more?
- I wished we saw more of what the children felt when their days are constantly being filmed, right from the beginning of the novel. The book addresses this towards the end.
- Natalie reveals a lot about herself—her ambitions, her dreams, her inner monologue, her insecurities, her plan of life, yet I felt like I didn't know her much? I kind of enjoyed this aspect because it aligns with a social media persona; we know so much, they reveal a lot, yet it feels like we do not know much.
- The ending felt rushed and abrupt.
- I wasn't convinced why Natalie simply didn't fire the new producer who was prodding into her life and gathering evidence to disprove her social media life.
Who might not enjoy it?
Probably trad wife influencers?
Overall, great read to pick up in 2026!
Thank you to the publisher for an ARC. All opinions are my own
Blog | Instagram | Threads | X (Twitter) | Newsletter
February 20, 2026
am I being gaslit? 4.23 average review on Goodreads? holy ragebait
December 14, 2025
wow. this will be the book that everyone is reading and talking about in 2026, mark my words.
December 11, 2025
I really enjoyed the first half as an escapist, entertaining read. But the second half was repetitive, nonsensical and full of half-baked ideas and concepts. The mc was so confusing - I didn’t understand what she stood for and who she was (maybe this was the point? But 1st person pov should allow you to actually get in the mc’s head and know them…). Also too many short sentences. So hard to read. So stilted. Too many italics on the page. And the end of the book seems to be set many years in the future but there are no date stamps to indicate this (insta only came out in 2010 yet the ending is set 25 years after the mc first started posting on it).
Great concept / flat execution. This book is going to be everywhere because publishers paid a fortune for it, proving that it’s not the actual content that matters but how easy it is to market and sell. Which, ironically, fits the story of the book.
Great concept / flat execution. This book is going to be everywhere because publishers paid a fortune for it, proving that it’s not the actual content that matters but how easy it is to market and sell. Which, ironically, fits the story of the book.
January 28, 2026
I’m going to give this book 5 stars for being very engrossing and unique. I do, however, also have some misgivings and criticisms about one of primary messages that came through to me.
There’s only so much I can say about the plot without spoiling some things. What I can say is that it is an absolutely scathing critique of tradwife/influencer culture particularly as created by conservative Christian women who romanticize the past. Natalie is clearly coming from a background that sounds like the more extreme end of conservatism, close to what I’d expect from the Duggars. The idea of women being “sweet”, always smiling, covering for the bad behavior of the men, throwing Bible verses out of context to make sense of situations. This isn’t mainstream but it’s sort of presented as though it is. A lot of Christian women have now deconstructed from this craziness and are more sane. I hope it is understood that Natalie is misguided by her own mind and not necessarily the beliefs she’s using as justification for her choices. The critique of influencers romanticizing the past, exploiting their children, faking it for the cameras: all valid even if it’s all a little unfair to the real people who probably don’t all have nefarious purposes behind what they do.
Natalie is a highly unlikeable character for Other Reasons which I won’t get into. But she finds herself married to a man she hates, living a fake life online, with children that she just wants to get away from even as she exploits them online. The story is divided into Past, Present and Future but the Present is also separated into “past” and “present”. It sounds confusing but it’s not and it’s all compelling. When it all comes together, it’s fascinating.
Highly recommended if you are looking to get sucked into a book and want something extremely discussable. You’ll definitely want to talk about it with someone when you finish!
There’s only so much I can say about the plot without spoiling some things. What I can say is that it is an absolutely scathing critique of tradwife/influencer culture particularly as created by conservative Christian women who romanticize the past. Natalie is clearly coming from a background that sounds like the more extreme end of conservatism, close to what I’d expect from the Duggars. The idea of women being “sweet”, always smiling, covering for the bad behavior of the men, throwing Bible verses out of context to make sense of situations. This isn’t mainstream but it’s sort of presented as though it is. A lot of Christian women have now deconstructed from this craziness and are more sane. I hope it is understood that Natalie is misguided by her own mind and not necessarily the beliefs she’s using as justification for her choices. The critique of influencers romanticizing the past, exploiting their children, faking it for the cameras: all valid even if it’s all a little unfair to the real people who probably don’t all have nefarious purposes behind what they do.
Natalie is a highly unlikeable character for Other Reasons which I won’t get into. But she finds herself married to a man she hates, living a fake life online, with children that she just wants to get away from even as she exploits them online. The story is divided into Past, Present and Future but the Present is also separated into “past” and “present”. It sounds confusing but it’s not and it’s all compelling. When it all comes together, it’s fascinating.
Highly recommended if you are looking to get sucked into a book and want something extremely discussable. You’ll definitely want to talk about it with someone when you finish!
January 17, 2026
1.5 Stars...
I am so glad this drivel is over. I hated almost everything about this book. The only reason I'm giving it 1.5 stars over 1 is because I read the entire thing, and that only happened because I couldn't get ending spoilers from Chat GPT since the book hasn't been released yet.
Natalie is one of the most unlikable characters I've had the displeasure to read about in a very long time. She's your typical holier-than-thou (Christian? Mormon? Who knows!! It's never mentioned!) wealthy influencer housewife (I REFUSE to use the term 'Trad-Wife' cause it's gross) who judges everyone she knows while being a horrible wife/mother/daughter/sister. Natalie is so much smarter than everyone she meets (including her husband), anyone with a different view from hers is ignorant and stupid, and women everywhere are soooo jealous of her.
I only stuck around to find out the ending, and it was such a disappointment. So incredibly ridiculous and unbelievable. Caleb (her husband) has to be one of the stupidest people on the planet. He SEES how mentally unwell his wife is, even after everything blows up, and yet he STILL has her popping out babies every year! How many children is this man willing to let his wife royally fuck up? Nine. The answers is N-I-N-E.
This book was so gross on so many levels, that I just can't wrap my head around all the praise it's getting. I wanted to DNF it within the first 100 pages, but I couldn't bring myself to DNF my second book of the year. Plus, the whole 1805 timeline was kind of interesting at first, but it turned out to be a complete gimmick and nothing at all like what the blurb makes it out to be.
In the end, I guess I'm just pissed at myself for falling for all the hype. This was NOT a good book, I DO NOT recommend it, and I while I would love to gift this garbage to all of my enemies, I wouldn't want to give this author a single dime.
Thank you (I guess?) to NetGalley for supplying me with a free copy. The only thing that would have made this worse is if I had paid for it.
I am so glad this drivel is over. I hated almost everything about this book. The only reason I'm giving it 1.5 stars over 1 is because I read the entire thing, and that only happened because I couldn't get ending spoilers from Chat GPT since the book hasn't been released yet.
Natalie is one of the most unlikable characters I've had the displeasure to read about in a very long time. She's your typical holier-than-thou (Christian? Mormon? Who knows!! It's never mentioned!) wealthy influencer housewife (I REFUSE to use the term 'Trad-Wife' cause it's gross) who judges everyone she knows while being a horrible wife/mother/daughter/sister. Natalie is so much smarter than everyone she meets (including her husband), anyone with a different view from hers is ignorant and stupid, and women everywhere are soooo jealous of her.
I only stuck around to find out the ending, and it was such a disappointment. So incredibly ridiculous and unbelievable. Caleb (her husband) has to be one of the stupidest people on the planet. He SEES how mentally unwell his wife is, even after everything blows up, and yet he STILL has her popping out babies every year! How many children is this man willing to let his wife royally fuck up? Nine. The answers is N-I-N-E.
This book was so gross on so many levels, that I just can't wrap my head around all the praise it's getting. I wanted to DNF it within the first 100 pages, but I couldn't bring myself to DNF my second book of the year. Plus, the whole 1805 timeline was kind of interesting at first, but it turned out to be a complete gimmick and nothing at all like what the blurb makes it out to be.
In the end, I guess I'm just pissed at myself for falling for all the hype. This was NOT a good book, I DO NOT recommend it, and I while I would love to gift this garbage to all of my enemies, I wouldn't want to give this author a single dime.
Thank you (I guess?) to NetGalley for supplying me with a free copy. The only thing that would have made this worse is if I had paid for it.
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