Yesteryear

by: Caro Claire Burke

Goodreads synopsis:

My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive.

Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it.

Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.

A gripping, electrifying novel that is as darkly funny as it is frightening, Yesteryear is a gimlet-eyed look at tradition, fame, faith, and the grand performance of womanhood.

Helen says: 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

Holy Cow- I loved this book so much. It is definitely my favorite book of 2026 so far. I love a satire!! This one was razor sharp and so clever. I wish I was as smart and perceptive as Caro Claire Burke. She spares no one. No spoilers. Just read it. p.s. To get an idea of the tradwife culture on Instagram, follow Ballerina Farms. Burke definitely took some liberties from their “brand”.

Holly says: 🤓🤓🤓🤓🤓

Whoa – what a ride! I hate to give 5 Reading Nerds because of the expectation it builds up for the reader, but 5 Reading Nerds, nonetheless. If simply for pure originality and creativity. This is definitely my favorite book of the year so far. All I can say is fascinating and fantastic! Now – this is satire at its finest – don’t take it too seriously, it is satire, after all – just read it for pure entertainment. It will keep you turning the pages well past your bedtime and trying to figure out what in the world is happening – do NOT read anything which spoils your own discovery. Most of the characters (except maybe one) are despicable – just go with it. Original and fantastic! This one will be near the top of my Top 5 Books of the (yester)Year!

Click here to purchase.