Yesteryear: A GMA Book Club Pick - Caro Claire Burke - [PDF download] - Books Focus
Yesteryear: A GMA Book Club Pick - Caro Claire Burke

Yesteryear: A GMA Book Club Pick

By Caro Claire Burke

  • Release Date: 2026-04-07
  • Genre: Fiction & Literature
Score: 4
4
From 746 Ratings

Description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A GMA BOOK CLUB PICK • A NEW YORK TIMES BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR (SO FAR) • A traditional American woman, a “tradwife” influencer, suddenly awakens in the brutal reality of 1855—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel.

"A bold and biting satire, Yesteryear…will have you cackling and gasping right to the final page."
—Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid series


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.

Reviews

  • Outrageous

    5
    By suhollan
    This is a story with no winners and losers. Just victims of a world gone mad.
  • Now this I what storytelling should be!

    5
    By Jewel....
    Absolutely fabulous from beginning to end!
  • Yesteryear

    4
    By YayaNetski
    I found this book difficult to read. I think it was the jumping from one decade to another and one reality to another . Natalie was an interesting character and the premise of her life choice was relevant and interesting. But the disjointedness of the family and characters was difficult at times.
  • Well written and enjoyable read

    5
    By MargoLikesPodcasts
    I typically avoid books endorsed by morning TV and celebrities, but I am glad I read this one. The story is well written, complex and compelling. The author draws characters in great detail, the inner dialogue of Natalie is fascinating compared to her exterior world. This book tackles so many themes— family, faith, technology, ambition— to name a few. It’s a rare thing to finish a book and think immediately that I would like to read it again. This is a rare jewel — highly recommend.
  • A character you love to hate

    5
    By cleaning 4 fun
    Wow. The inter monologue of a “good Christian” was divulged in such an interesting way. I couldn’t stop hating her.
  • Loved every word.

    5
    By KellsBellsAtl
    Excited to reread now that the ending is known.
  • Captivating

    5
    By Veelo26
    Wow, a rollercoaster that I did not want to get off. Such a great read!
  • Not even worth reading for entertainment

    1
    By ilsa s.
    Totally addictive, not worth the time. The ‘punch line’ mystery ending that you’re waiting for, for the entire book, is an absurdly stupid and shallow ‘lesson’ if you can even use that word, for our day and age. This book violates all the qualities of a truly good story, and a commentary on morals that contributes to our society in any way- including being simply entertaining - it is not.
  • Outstanding!

    5
    By Tunis987654331
    Thrilling, well written and original.
  • Like eating a Twinkie — unsatisfying and pointless

    1
    By Momcat099999
    There is no substance or lasting impression. The entire plot line is flawed and unbelievable, which may be the point. The main character is completely unlikable, which may also be the point, but there is no story arc that does anything but fill the spaces between the covers. I prefer books that leave me pondering its meaning for days. This book is not one of those.
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