Yesteryear: A GMA Book Club Pick: A Novel

By Caro Claire Burke

#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.

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Published Apr 7, 2026

400 pages

Average rating: 7.21

5,045 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Yesteryear* is a provocative, well-written satire exploring influencer culture, traditional femininity, patriarchy, and societal pressure...

A
AngieK
5/10 stars
Not for me
T
TessoftheCharlottesville
8/10 stars
First half was slow, second half hit like a twisted tidal wave. Enjoyed the twist and the ending, loved all the social/cultural critique. Will read it again!
TellMeMore
TellMeMore
8/10 stars
What a story! I was a little disappointed in the ending, but it is a great book. Quite a commentary on the pretense of a life lived on social media as well as the things we sacrifice for appearances.
mbardey
mbardey
This book was addictive in the way a TikTok feed is addictive, but equally disappointing in the sophistication and pacing of the twist. My hope is that the sequel covers the same timelines from a different POV.
msafiya
msafiya
8/10 stars
At first, I had a hard time getting into the story because the chapters jumped between the past and present, and the pacing felt a little slow. But around 30–40% in, it picked up and I became intrigued. I really enjoyed Natalie’s character development and found this to be a unique and thought-provoking read. I liked how it portrayed these women as both victims and perpetrators shaped by societal pressures and desperation, but also responsible for the choices they make and how far they take them. I also appreciated the commentary on how women are raised to care so much about appearances and what others think, as well as the exposure of children on social media. Overall, a slow start but a unique read that gave me a lot to think about.

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