Book Review: Yesteryear - A peek into the lives of “tradwife” influencers and strong unlikeable women
This book takes readers on a wild ride - constantly questioning reality. Written by Caro Claire Burke, the story blends literary fiction, religious fundamentalism, motherhood, and social media into a read that leaves you questioning so many things!
My Brief Synopsis
Yesteryear is the story of Natalie, a Christian woman who is “great at life.” She is intelligent, a devout believer in god and being a “good Christian woman” and we eventually learn, not such a nice person. We follow her on a journey of building this life she has envisioned for herself with a husband and many children.
The story provides an interesting perspective into the lives of “tradwife” influencers and what goes on behind the scenes of their widely followed empires. As the story unfolds we start to figure out that Natalie may be an unreliable narrator -she is confused and is unsure of what is real. We are thrown back in time to the 1800s when life was actually the way Natalie had been pretending to live on social media. It is a wild ride full of flashbacks, political commentary, and a myriad of mental health issues.
What I Liked Best About the Book
The entire book, while sometimes confusing to read, was very entertaining. The things that stuck with me the most were the representations of a variety of mental health issues (no surprise that the therapist clung to those themes, huh?)
Natalie, while incredibly unlikeable, was also relatable. I think the author does a good job of creating a character that readers find reprehensible, but who they also want to understand. We are presented with a strong woman who has a goal and what she believes to be solid moral ground to build her life on. She moves through life like a steamroller crushing the things that get in the way of her vision. People never like women who take what they want (in reality or in books). This makes Natalie palatable and relatable, even if we don’t align with her religious beliefs, moral high ground, or bad attitude.
This story was a great representation of an important concept: Characters DO NOT have to be likeable to make the book a good read.
How Was the Pacing of the Book?
The pacing of the book might have been the biggest downside for many readers. It was confusing because there was a lot of time jumping. It didn’t feel particularly slow for me, but it did feel a little repetitive at certain points.
Mental Health Themes I Noticed
Postpartum Depression
This was a big theme, especially in the first half of the book. Natalie, who believes that her purpose in life is to have a big family, struggles to connect with her first born baby. Readers experience her struggle with postpartum depression and her gradual climb out of it. Although, I do think she always carried this with her throughout the book. We learn that being a mother does not come naturally to her and she continues to have children out of obligation and need, rather than desire.Trauma and survival
Trauma and Grief
At some point in the book, we see that Natalie has lost sense of reality. She has lost memories and time (literally years and years - she has no idea how much time has past). These are symptoms of trauma. As we get to the end of the book, and learn how much time has passed and the exact events that occurred, it is clear to see why she might be traumatized. She has lost her children and her empire.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Sometimes individuals with fundamental or devout beliefs become so scrupulous that they develop OCD. They become so intent on maintaining perfection in terms of their religious and moral beliefs that it becomes an obsession that actually hinders them from living a regular day-to-day life. We see this in the way Natalie begins to compulsively pray and seeks reassurance from God (who she thinks she receives signs from on several occasions). She is driven by fear and lives in a joyless cycle of guilt and dread.
This is not to say that believing in signs or god is a mental illness. But, there are instances in which people lose a sense of what is real and what is not; where they are so concerned with morals that it plagues them rather than improves their lives. Healthy religion and spirituality bring feelings of connection and purpose; when it turns into something else, then it is a problem.
Would I Recommend This Book as a Therapist?
This book is a lot to take, and there are a variety of reasons why people from different groups would hate it.
I know that some people took issue with the negative commentary on Christian values in the book. However, the book ends with a description of believing in God and having faith in a way that feels like family and community. I think this was really important and well done. The author didn’t end the book leaving readers to feel like having faith (or being Christian) was wrong. Instead, readers were left with a message about how faith can be good as long as we don’t wield it as a weapon.
I would recommend Yesteryear to readers who enjoy:
Psychological depth
Character centered stories
Stories centered on family, religion, grief
As a therapist, I might recommend this book to someone struggling with postpartum depression or someone who is exploring/questioning religion and spirituality. Depending on where they are in their journey.
Final Thoughts
Yesteryear is unique in the way it portrays a strong determined woman, while also shedding light on issues with social media, fundamentalism, and abuse.