"Yesteryear" by Caro Claire Burke

“Just powered through this in roughly 24 hours and HOLY SHIT... I am lost for words right now, except for WOW I FUCKING LOVED THIS Update: I've created a whole collection dedicated to my obsession with this book!”

“I would love a rundown of the research that went into this. Burke includes so many details and intimacies of this micro-culture that put words to passing almost-thoughts I’ve had. I found it incredibly satisfying. Couldn’t read it fast enough.”

“Wowza. A great read and/or listen. Trad wife life gone awry. Author and TikTok darling, Caro Claire Burke, is also co-host of podcast Diabolical Lies (see rec), with Katie Gatti Tassin. NYT review here.”

“Loved this. Ate it up. Couldn’t put it down. Seems so culturally relevant right now and can’t wait to see the movie they allegedly cast Anne Hathaway in.”

“I neglected sleep and chores while I inhaled this book. Stunning, but so hard to talk about without giving away plot twists. I loved how it's situated in our present moment and I've begged all my friends to read it so they can discuss it with me.”

“What a fun summer read! Unreliable narrator, fun twist at the end, easy prose.”

“Instant favorite.”

“As someone who has worked for a Trad Wife Influencer, this book had me smirking all the way through. And if you've read- she had it coming!”

“WooooooW. This book was so perfectly written and laid out. Shocking, darkly funny, and couldn’t put it down. I’m going to think about this one for a long time.”

“Not sure how much this book is because I used my Spotify audiobook minutes to listen. I did not know that Caro had written a novel until I saw the tiktok buzz. I was a disciple of her videos when she was dissecting trad wive culture from the beginning, so this seemed like the natural progression from that. This novel is nothing short of excellent but let me know what you guys think about it !”

“The début novelist behind “Yesteryear” on researching trad wives, wading into the discourse, and Anne Hathaway’s plans to adapt her best-seller for the screen. ~ by Rachel Syme, The New Yorker, August 9, 2026”

“The ending…”

“Everyone’s talking about this book for good reason. Unique, clever, thought-provoking - an absolute banger of a debut novel.”

“still thinking about this book weeks later. an incredible commentary on social media, influencer culture, patriarchy, politics. oof 🥵”

“tradewifery and comeuppance.”

“This book was so addictive- I could not put it down! It had zero lulls in the storyline for me. Plot follows a tradwife influencer living on a farm with her children when she suddenly wakes up during pioneer times with a facsimile of her family and she actually has to live the life she pretended to live online. It’s dark and twisty and I keep thinking about it. Really impressed that this is the author’s first novel and can’t wait to see it adapted for film or tv!”

“Tradwife influencer “homesteading” until she wakes up in 1855…weird and fun and interesting and propulsive.”

“I know the merit of this one is being hotly debated (with good reason). That being said I couldn't put it down and I'm still thinking about it.”

“I actually don’t even know how to review this book. I rated it 5 stars because i could not put it down… it was so thought provoking and different than anything i’ve read it just kept me on my toes. it was well written… did i hate it or love it? not really sure? the main character was so incredibly unlikeable and i know that was the point…. most 5 stars books are ones i absolutely LOVED but that is not the right term for how im feeling after this book 😳 will i recommend it to others? yes because i need to talk to everyone i know about it asap”

“this book took my on a mental rollercoaster. i half listened to it and half read it and the combination actually made the experience that much better because each of the characters ended up with a unique voice in my head. i want to experience this all again for the first time.”

“Crazy. I think I liked it? Would be an excellent book club book - lots to unpack !”

“Completely engrossing and surprisingly funny. I could not put this book down.”

“This book is impossible to review and I have a hate love relationship with it but I also cannot stop thinking about it…”

“A tradwife is transported back to the era she emulates, and things from from there.”

“Damn. This had me holding my breath through all the twists and turns.”

“Read while travelling between Cape Town, Johannesburg and London over a few days. Only put it down when managing luggage and emigrating emotions. Read in passport controls and boarding gate queues, the Lizzy line and final few pages on the SouthEastern before I arrived home. I looked around to see if anyone could see how stunned I was at the final few chapters. No cigar.”

“mostly just want other people to read this so we can discuss!”

“A wildly curated trade influencer wakes up in the actual past and quickly discovers that “simple living” isn’t as charming without WiFi, plumbing or a content team. Unhinged in the best way!”

“Intriguing. Thought provoking. Funny.”

“one of the best books I've read this year”

“Could not put it down”