Yesteryear: book discussion

Tradwives, influencers, high-control religion, performances of womanhood, Sassafras the cow...let's get into it.

Yesteryear is one of those books that I simply have to discuss with people. My copy is dog-eared and festooned with sticky notes. I devoured this book.

The tradwife satire-thriller by caro claire burke is such a rich text in terms of social media influencers, gender roles, high-control religion, and the hellscape of domestic and financial responsibilities for modern women, whether they are traditional, feminist, or neither.

Here are a few prompts that come to mind to get us started. Feel free to throw your own into the discussion.

• What did you make of the ways that pursuing traditional gender roles create tensions and ultimately nightmare scenarios for the women and men in the book? In what ways do these expectations around “masculinity” (dominant, stoic) and “femininity” (“soft,” submissive, polite) feel true to problems in real life?

• What did you think of Reena (Natalie’s college roommate) as a foil for Natalie, and do you see yourself in either of them? What different “performances” of womanhood struck you in the book—and do any of the women seem to “succeed” or have a happy ending?

• Do we like Natalie, or find her sympathetic? Is she a villain, an anti-hero, a tragic figure?

• Curious which aspects of religious culture landed (or failed to land) for people—especially those with a religious background! (I found the concept of “watching yourself” very resonant in terms of self-surveillance!)

• What about that ending? Does it work for you—what does it all mean??

Let’s get into it in the comments.

---

New to Matriarchy Report? Subscribe below.

Are you enjoying MR? The best way to support my work and keep it going is with a paid subscription. It’s just over $4 a month—and you get to be part of something that Caleb and the manosphere would hate! Win.