Caro Claire Burke’s debut novel, Yesteryear, has rapidly become the season’s most talked-about book, igniting widespread discussion and dividing readers with its satirical take on the ‘tradwife’ movement and contemporary womanhood. Published in April, the novel has achieved significant commercial success, gracing the New York Times bestseller list and topping the UK’s Sunday Times hardback fiction chart. Its popularity extends to social media platforms like BookTok, where it has been the most discussed title, and into book clubs and group chats, where its themes are fiercely debated.
The Premise of Yesteryear
Yesteryear centers on Natalie Heller Mills, a 32-year-old influencer and mother of five (soon to be six) who meticulously documents her seemingly idyllic life on a 500-acre Idaho farm for millions of followers. Her online persona embodies the ‘tradwife’ subculture, which emphasizes traditional gender roles, with men as breadwinners and women focused on domesticity, child-rearing, and homemaking. Natalie’s curated image includes baking sourdough, homeschooling her children, and collecting eggs, all presented with a cheerful facade.
However, this perfect life is revealed to be a carefully constructed performance. The narrative takes a dramatic turn when Natalie is inexplicably transported to 1855, the very era she romanticizes. The novel contrasts her present-day influencer life with a nightmarish experience of the past, with the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of her temporal displacement revealed only at the conclusion.
A Hit Driven by a Compelling ‘What If’
The novel’s immense popularity is attributed to several factors. A significant marketing push by its publishers and the endorsement of actress Anne Hathaway, who acquired the film rights and is set to produce and star, have undoubtedly boosted its visibility. Yet, the core appeal lies in its central ‘what if’ premise: what happens when a woman who idealizes a past way of life is forced to confront its harsh realities? This scenario, coupled with the reader’s voyeuristic perspective on her potential downfall, has captivated audiences.
Leigh Stein, an author known for her satirical novels on internet culture, praised the concept, stating, “The idea of sending an influencer back into the past to live as a real-life pioneer woman? I was jealous. I was like, ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ It’s such a brilliant idea.”
The Tradwife Phenomenon in Fiction and Culture
The ‘tradwife’ figure has become a recurring motif in contemporary fiction, with multiple thrillers this year exploring the theme of seemingly perfect lives being less than they appear. Dr. Rachel Sykes, an associate professor in contemporary literature and culture at the University of Birmingham, suggests the fascination stems from the figure’s larger-than-life, often exaggerated persona. “I think people are fascinated with the tradwife because she’s such a larger-than-life and exaggerated figure,” Dr. Sykes explained.
Furthermore, the inherent contradiction of a tradwife who, while seemingly rejecting modern careers, builds her own successful online business makes the figure ripe for cultural analysis. Dr. Sykes also notes that the rise of conservative female influencers presents a jarring contrast for progressive viewpoints, making the tradwife a focal point for broader societal debates. “The tradwife figure really crystallises a lot of that, and books like this get people debating what matters to them,” she added.
Real-world figures like Hannah Neeleman, known as Ballerina Farm, have been cited as potential inspirations for Natalie. Neeleman, a mother of nine who shares her life on a Utah farm with over 10 million Instagram followers, shares parallels with Natalie, including attending prestigious institutions and building a brand around domestic life. Neeleman, who does not identify as a tradwife, commented on the novel’s buzz, stating, “I’ve had an online presence for enough time to know that people like to be entertained… I’m surprised it didn’t come sooner.” This self-awareness echoes Natalie’s own observation within the novel: “The goal of the 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.”
Reflections on Social Media and Modern Womanhood
Critics and readers alike have lauded Yesteryear for its sharp commentary on social media’s complex dynamics. Stein highlights the novel’s successful portrayal of the symbiotic relationship between influencers and their detractors: “Something I think [the author] did really well is capture the symbiotic relationship between an influencer and her haters. The haters can’t look away and the influencer needs their engagement.”
The author, a former journalist who has reported on and analyzed the tradwife movement, views the discourse as intersecting with numerous conversations about modern life. “I think there’s something about the tradwife discourse that seems to intersect with every imaginable conversation about modern womanhood,” she stated in an interview. “What you choose to do with your career, when you decide to have kids (if at all), who you marry, what a marriage looks like…”
Literary agent Joanna Mackenzie praised the novel’s scope, noting, “It had me from the first line. The author masterfully takes us all the way from childhood into menopause with this character, and shows us all parts of womanhood in contemporary culture, the choices that women have to make and what’s thrust upon them.”
Divisions Over Character and Critique
Despite its widespread acclaim, Yesteryear has also faced criticism, particularly regarding its protagonist and the depth of its social commentary. Natalie is described as an unlikeable, unreliable, yet compelling narrator. Mackenzie acknowledged this complexity: “For me she is super-complicated and deeply flawed. But there were also so many times when I felt sympathy for her, because she was just trying to make her way in a world that hates women, and do the best with the beliefs that she was indoctrinated with.”
The novel’s portrayal of Natalie’s judgmental nature towards her husband and online critics, as well as its critique of liberal feminism, has drawn attention. Dr. Sykes observed, “Tradwives are quite an easy target, which I think she does capture in the novel.”
The core of the reader division lies in whether Yesteryear offers a substantial critique of the issues it raises—the influencer economy, social media facades, feminism, the manosphere, religion, marriage, and motherhood. Dr. Sykes expressed a desire for deeper exploration of character motivations and the politics underpinning the tradwife movement. “I felt like it was a very unsympathetic portrayal of everyone. I’m all for unlikable protagonists, but when it’s a tradwife figure, if you make them too dislikable it’s harder to get an insight into that psychology,” she commented. She also wished for a more thorough examination of the implications of promoting such a lifestyle. “It’s very good about the labour of a tradwife, how much help they have,” Sykes noted. “I wish there had been more of a reckoning with what it means not just to be invested in that idea of womanhood in the present, but to be selling it to other women.”
Some readers feel the novel lacks a coherent message. “I am perplexed by the people who feel like this book is saying something smart about what it’s like to be a woman in America,” one reader remarked. “I didn’t find it to be a coherent critique of anything. Ultimately, I felt like the novel was just saying all women are unhappy. That is so bleak and depressing.”
The Value of Debate
Ultimately, the novel’s impact may lie less in the definitive statements it makes and more in the conversations it sparks. Dr. Sykes concluded, “I haven’t heard anyone having passive conversations about it. It is good for book culture to have something that people want to talk about so much.” Yesteryear is available in hardback.
