Burke, C. C. (2026). Yesteryear. Alfred A. Knopf.
Natalie Heller Mills is a social media influencer, who promotes her traditional, pioneer lifestyle to her millions of followers, with her cowboy husband, 5 children (and counting), and her rustic farmhouse. Known as a ‘tradwife’, she preaches hard work, raw milk, and Christian homeschool teachings, but hides the team of nannies, farm workers, and producers who help to sell the illusion.
Everything changes when she wakes up in a strange new reality. It is her house, but with none of the modern appliances that she is used to, and a cornerstone inscribed with the year 1885. Surrounded by children who she doesn’t recognize, and a man who, while looking like her husband, is older and much more violent, she must learn where she is, and how to escape. Yesteryear is a fast-moving non-linear story that takes the reader on a journey through the eyes of Natalie, and she seeks to understand her new reality, and what has led her to this point.
Reflections
Yesteryear is a popular book right now, and is in the process of having a movie adaptation produced starring Anne Hathaway. As such, there is significant interest in this book, which can influence how it is presented to a potential reader. Both “tradwives” and social media influencers are both popular discussion topics right now, so I can see how this book could reflect the zeitgeist, which could be used in marketing the book.
It was interesting writing this annotation, as it was a very different writing style than what I am used to writing academically. I had to work to “hook” the reader, and give them a general sense of the plot, while also not revealing too much information. The narrator, Natalie, is an unreliable narrator, and there are several plot twists throughout the book. When writing my annotation, I tried to balance the information that I revealed, so as to both hint at the twists, while not spoiling the plot.
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