Yesteryear | Caro Claire Burke

Yesteryear: A Novel

Extended Synopsis

Natalie Heller Mills was perfect at being alive. As a viral sensation with over eight million followers, she built a lucrative empire curating an idealized pioneer lifestyle—raw milk, farm-fresh eggs, and a rustic farmhouse aesthetic. Behind the scenes, however, the reality was expertly managed by producers and nannies, hidden by industrial-grade appliances, and supported by a husband whose political influence rivaled the Kennedys. Natalie thrived on the friction between her "traditional" persona and the critics who labeled her an anti-feminist iconoclast.

That carefully maintained performance shatters when Natalie wakes up one morning in a life that is chillingly familiar yet entirely alien. The farmhouse is real, her husband is a competent farmer, and her children are unkempt. The electricity is gone, replaced by the labor-intensive demands of 1805. Is this a brutal reality show, a twisted form of time travel, or a sinister psychological test? Forced to haul firewood and wash clothes until her fingers bleed, Natalie must survive a brutal injury and confront the hollow performance of her modern existence. Yesteryear is a gripping, darkly funny, and electrifying interrogation of fame, faith, and the grand, precarious art of womanhood.

Reader Targeting

• Readers who enjoy incisive social satire and psychological thrillers that explore modern influencer culture.
• Fans of feminist fiction and narratives that deconstruct the performance of traditional domesticity.
• Book clubs looking for thought-provoking, suspenseful stories that spark debate on authenticity, technology, and historical reality.

About the Author

Caro Claire Burke is a sharp, observant voice in contemporary fiction. Yesteryear serves as her debut novel, demonstrating a gimlet-eyed ability to merge psychological tension with biting social commentary, establishing her as an author to watch in the realm of modern literary thrillers.

Accolades & Features

A GMA Book Club Pick. This First US Edition features a meticulously curated design blending vintage domestic motifs with modern digital distortion, crafted to command visibility across national bestseller displays and high-profile literary showcases. Includes detailed reader’s guide parameters and official book club discussion resources.

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