Time-Travel and Yesteryear:

Am I the only one who didn't think the novel was great?

The blurb for Caro Claire Burke's 2026 novel, Yesteryear, goes like this:

#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.

"Cool," I thought. That sounds interesting, especially because I have studied the role of women in the mid 1800s (in particular, the movement West), and the time-travel angle could be fun to read. Besides, this novel is getting so much buzz, (and I hate not knowing about the most popular current books) that I felt I should read Yesteryear. While I typically don't read many romance or time-travel tales, I have really fond memories of a couple of time-travel books, like Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, and Jude Devereaux's A Knight in Shining Armor from 1989. Do you know those? Over the years, something about A Knight in Shining Armor stuck with me, a suave, handsome knight traveling forward in time and finding love and adventure. (Indulge me. I was almost forty years younger, and it was a fun, compelling romance!)

So a time-travel story where the woman goes back to 1855 sounds like fun!

"Fun" was not the right word. Maybe it was because I truly do not understand the need to make your presence known and tout your own abilities, looks, and activities daily to strangers via social media. Not only do I distrust digital platforms, viral pushes, and trendy influencers, but I abhor reality television. (How realistic can any show be if camera crews follow the stars around day in and day out? I simply don't believe that any human being could not be influenced by knowing they were being filmed at all hours.) Maybe I was just predisposed to scowl at this book once I discovered that it was less about time travel than about gender roles, conservative religion, wealth, class, and the impact of social media on both influencers and influencees.

Not one likeable character

My beloved mentor, Martha, and I used to spar about the need to "like" the main character of a book. She continually admonished me, reminding me that affection for the hero or heroine is not a requirement for enjoyment. I came to agree with her, as in the case of Olive Kittredge by Elizabeth Strout.

But usually, even if I disliked them at the beginning, the characters redeemed themselves by showing an ounce of compassion, by doing something good, or by at least not being as much of a jerk at the end of the novel as they were in the beginning of it. But I struggled with Yesteryear because there wasn't one single character that I could like, and absolutely nothing redemptive about their actions.

Natalie Heller Mills, the protagonist

A beautiful young woman named Natalie Heller Mills longs to be an influencer. She's strong, smart - and manipulative - as well as being oblivious to the needs of her kids. (That happens when you can hand them off to nannies.) She convinces her husband's wealthy politician father to buy a huge parcel of land and pay for the remodeling of a ranch house in order to get his inept but gorgeous son (Natalie's husband) out of the way.

Natalie then creates the "reality" of a "tradwife" living the dream on a modern ranch: Natural foods, outdoor experiences, healthy exercising, fresh eggs, raw milk, and recipes meant to draw on the nostalgia of the old days - with much improved flavor!

Her following grows along with her bank accounts, and she finds herself juggling the reality of what she is supposed to be to her audiences with the reality of what she really is.

That's a good premise for a novel, and the implications of social media branding and "reality-show-life" provide excellent topics for discussion. The impact of social media, after all, is a relevant force in our modern world that touches all our lives.

But the plot takes a turn when Natalie, the modern-day influencer, wakes up in 1855 America with circumstances vastly different from how she portrays them in her products and constant posting to her platforms.

Other Characters:

A powerful, ultra-wealthy, politician father-in-law who is focused on what will appeal to the public heads the extended family.

There's a mother-in-law who seems kind and gentle but is docile only because she's self-medicating.

Natalie's husband, Caleb, is handsome, but not the best at handling the farm chores. (He is also not the sharpest crayon in the box.)

Kids. Lots of them. Daughters and sons of all ages running around the story without any clear understanding of their personalities or place in the family.

Time-Travel: Not so much fun after all!

In Outlander, Claire finds a hunky Scottish man and a forever love who becomes her life partner. (Yes, Jamie Fraser holds a spot in my memory from reading that first book when it came out in 1991. The television show came much later and only augmented my fondness for that burly red-headed man with a delightful brogue and a fondness for the word "sassenach.") Many other time-travel novels focus on plots where blinding romance blooms and love conquers mortal timelines. Natalie, however, in going back to 1855, finds a harsh husband who continually disciplines her while she avoids work and expects her oldest daughter to do the burden of chores. She is unable to adjust to life a hundred and seventy years ago.

Nothing pleasing or entertaining or even vaguely romantic in her story.

The Unreliable Narrator in Yesteryear

Can you trust what Natalie is saying? In Yesteryear, the author employs the literary device of "the unreliable narrator," which means that the character's credibility is compromised. From the very beginning of the novel, the reader knows that Natalie is "pretending," creating a social media role for herself that is unlike her actual life. Her constant vitriol and angst are signs that all is not well.

Remember Jay Gatsby? The novel, "The Turn of the Screw"? Vladimir Nabokov's Lolita? All are examples of unreliable narrators who can't be trusted because they are twisting events to match their perceptions. Warped realities, alcoholism, trauma, drug addiction, and previous mental illness are all reasons to doubt what a character says.

Many of the reviews of Yesteryear talk about the surprise ending, but it seemed pretty obvious to me from early on what would happen. The clues were all there, but I'll leave it for you to decide whether you predicted the correct ending.

Yesteryear: An example of the power of a big publisher

Yesteryear received lots of reviews and potent book blurbs by prominent authors, all of which are signs of a strong publisher behind the work. But I'm not sure that lots of hype equates to the greatness of the work.

Here are some quotes from the blurbs and critics, as published on Penguin-Random House's website:

“Perfect wife, perfect life? Think again. A bold and biting satire, Yesteryear examines the power of social media to spin a lie so deep, it turns ‘home sweet home’ into a prison. Page-turning and illuminating, this caustic look at the tradwife will have you cackling and gasping right to the final page.” —Nita Prose, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid series

“An absolutely unhinged (in a good way) novel about a lifestyle influencer. . . . When I tell you the ending is off the rails, I am telling you the ending is off the rails.” —Roxane Gay, New York Times bestselling author of Bad Feminist

and

“One of the year’s most relentlessly fast-paced and satisfying novels, a sharp and witty social satire that also works as a taut thriller and a vexing work of speculation… Unusually ambitious for a debut novel and also uncannily astute about the complicated, contradictory times in which we live.” – Kate Tuttle, Boston Globe

Maybe it's just me. I did not find this book thrilling, surprising, or remotely satisfying. Its popularity is attained because of the push of a major publisher, not because of the greatness of its language or its plot.

But that's just me.

I'd love to hear what you thought. Show me why I'm missing some essential part of the book. Point out the brilliant satire that supposedly exists. Explain what you found exciting about this novel.

Great book talk needs multiple points of view, and mine is only one perspective!

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