Yesteryear

Riding a Wave

Reading Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke is like riding the crest of wave, the view constantly changing. The personality of the protagonist, Natalie, revealed in layers, shifting in a story full of surprises with unexpected twists and turns.

Gender Roles

Natalie’s father left when she was young. Her mother raised her and her younger sister alone. Money was tight. Religion was the forefront of their lives. In college Natalie is astonished by her peers’ lack of morals and is pleased to meet Caleb who shares her beliefs. They marry and move to a farm they name Yesteryear.

Natalie becomes an influencer. When her following explodes she hires help with her growing family and a producer to manage her fame. Meanwhile, Caleb’s father decides to run for President with a campaign built on conservative values espousing anti-gay, anti-abortion, and traditional family life roles. Sound familiar? Wait.

Two Realities

We enter a time warp where there are no images to share, no technology, electricity, or running water. A place where one’s value is measured by fulfilling the traditional roles of a woman or man. It is a hard life and Natalie has many conversations with the Lord. “…‘Do you hear me Lord? Do you see me standing here terrified?...’. The Lord does not reply.…”

The novel braids these two realities together, building tension as the reader tries to assess which one is the real one. Trying to keep track of the large number of Natalie’s children in each causes a bit of confusion, but in both stories she is at times likeable and at times detestable.

There’s an undercurrent of today’s politics and the role of social media in our society. Caro Claire Burke’s subtle words convey her view of these things without addressing a solution.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (2026, Knopf, 400 pages)