Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

This is certainly a cautionary tale. So many people put themselves and their families, including children, out there in our social media world, and many of them seem authentic. But that doesn't mean what they are presenting is authentic. I believe that people get so wrapped up in making "content" that they lose who they are and what is important in the real world. They try to hang on to a certain persona, and it's this persona that makes them successful financially. It's like going down a rabbit hole however.

Natalie Heller Mills presents herself as a tradwife to the world. Her family lives on a farm with chickens, dairy cows and horses. She bakes her own bread and follows a traditional role of a 1950s housewife. Her social media presence hits it big when one person (a male) mentions her in one of his own videos as someone who is doing everything right in this crazy world we live in. She gets thousands of followers immediately after this - which ultimately generates a nice monthly income for her and her growing family. The problem with this is that her and her husband are not living the life they present. They have help on the farm, two nannies to take care of their children (thankfully!), and eventually a producer to help Natalie with filming her content. Their marriage is deeply unhappy; Natalie doesn't even seem to like the children; and her husband, Caleb, is certainly opposed to work! But, to keep up appearances, they keep having children (and not necessarily in the way most married people do!) and they are funded for years by Caleb's wealthy (and politically-focused) father.

One day Natalie finds herself living on the same farm but without all the hidden luxury items, different children, and a not-gentle Caleb. She doesn't know why she is there and wonders if she if being filmed (think The Truman Show). She keeps wanting to go home. Her oldest child, Mary, who is only 10 or so, takes care of her, the younger children, and the house. It's crazy. The reader doesn't really know what's going on either - and I won't spoil it here. It's certainly an interesting and unique twist though!

Natalie is not a likeable woman. From beginning to end, she is not a nice person. We know this to be true because we can "hear" what she is actually thinking - and not just what she is saying out loud to others. Even though I didn't like Natalie, I thought the book was really well-written and the plot twist is clever.

Wendy's Rating: ****