A traditional American woman, a beautiful wife and mother who sells her pioneer lifestyle of raw milk and farm-fresh eggs to her millions of social media followers, suddenly awakens cold, filthy, and terrified 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 the Good Morning America Book Club's April pick.
Amazon affiliate links are used on this site. A free book was provided for an honest review.
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| April 2026; Knopf; 978-0593804216 audio, ebook, print (400 pages); women's fiction |
Have you read Yesteryear yet? It seems like everywhere I look, I'm seeing something about this book. Does it live up to the hype?
It definitely was not what I was expecting. I thought it would be a domestic thriller - you know, something dark lurking in the shadows cast by the bright lights of social media influencing. It did have some aspects of a domestic or psychological thriller, I just didn't feel the edge-of-my-seat tension that I equate with the genre. I think it might be more along the lines of dark women's fiction, if such a category exists.
In some of my book-related social media groups, this book has been discussed, and people either love it or hate. I'm kind of on the fence. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. My biggest gripe is with how the story unfolded.
I knew early on that I would probably have some problems with the book and the main character, Natalie. Many readers have mentioned how unlikeable she is. I didn't really find her unlikable personality-wise. I felt more sorry for her. When her first prayer is for more social media followers, I cringed. Superficial Christianity pushes my buttons. Then, as her past is revealed, I realize that she has been deceived about what the true Christian faith is all about.
My real problem with the book began when Natalie woke up in 1885 or a close facsimile of it. At first, I thought this was an interesting twist to the story. And had we continued a linear story, I might have enjoyed it more. Instead, we jump back and forth between her reality and what happened before. I kind of guessed what was going on with her "1885 reality" early on and I thought this twist dragged on too long. I grew bored with the story and only continued because I wanted the explanation of what was going on.
A few readers who have loved the book said so because of the uniqueness of the story. I didn't find it all that unique. If you have read Tara Westover's memoir Educated (excellent book if you haven't read it), then some of the same fundamental, traditional views that Natalie believes and tries to live by are detailed in Westover's book. Also, if you watch the television series Elsbeth, then you saw a similar plot in episode 18 of the current season.
If the narrative had been tighter and the plot hadn't wandered so much, I would probably have enjoyed the book more. I'm not into following any Trad Wife influencers, but if that is your thing, then you will probably find this book interesting. Definitely, if you are in a book club, I would recommend this book for the discussion potential alone.
Buy Yesteryear at Amazon
Donna Huber is an avid reader and natural encourager. She is the founder of Girl Who Reads and the author of how-to marketing book Secrets to a Successful Blog Tour.
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