This book about a "traditional wife" became one of the most popular in 2026 and has already attracted Hollywood's interest

Natalie Heller Mills lives on a picturesque farm in the American state of Idaho. She has a handsome husband, children, a cozy home, and millions of followers on social media. The woman publishes photos of homemade bread, showcases family daily life, and promotes a traditional lifestyle, in which a woman's main role is to care for her husband, children, and household.

But behind the beautiful picture lies a completely different reality. Nannies help care for the children, special staff work on the content, and the kitchen is equipped with professional equipment. What seems to subscribers like a simple and natural life is, in fact, a carefully organized business.

One day, Natalie wakes up to find herself in 1855. Everything around her seems to be the same: the farm, her husband, her children. But electricity, modern technology, plumbing, and the people who helped her maintain her ideal image are all gone.

Now she has to experience firsthand what life was like for women in an era she romanticized so much online. The protagonist doesn't understand what happened to her: whether she truly traveled back in time, or if she became a participant in a cruel experiment or a reality show.

The novel "Yesteryear" (literally "In Bygone Times") by American writer Caro Claire Burke is built on this juxtaposition. The book combines psychological thriller and social satire, ridiculing idealized notions of "the good old days."

How the Debut Novel Became a Bestseller

“Yesteryear” was released on April 7, 2026, and quickly became one of the most discussed books in the USA. On the Goodreads platform, where users mark books they've read and compile personal lists, the novel took first place in the ranking of the most popular books published in 2026. As of October 23, more than 1.05 million users marked it as read.

Its success is also confirmed by sales. According to data from the research company Circana, 402 thousand print copies of the novel were sold in the USA in the first half of 2026 alone. This secured it eighth place among the best-selling print books on the American market.

By August, as The New Yorker reports, total sales of the book had already reached approximately 1.4 million copies. The novel also topped The New York Times bestseller list and had remained there for 17 consecutive weeks at that point.

The book also sparked heated discussions. Some readers saw it as a witty critique of the idealization of the past and traditional gender roles. Others debated how fairly the author depicted women who consciously choose family and homemaking.

Павялічыць

A Novel Written in Nine Weeks

For Caro Claire Burke, "Yesteryear" was her literary debut. Previously, she worked in journalism, including at Katie Couric Media, and was involved in podcasts. At the time of writing the book, she had 40 thousand followers on TikTok.

The idea for the novel emerged in 2024 when Burke began studying the "traditional wives" (tradwives) movement popular on social media. This term refers to women who advocate for traditional family roles, motherhood, and homemaking, and often support a wife's financial dependence on her husband.

According to the writer, she was interested in the contradiction between the ideal image of such a life online and what remains off-camera. This is how the story of a blogger who truly has to live in the past, without all modern conveniences, came about.

Interestingly, the novel that brought Burke fame was written in just eight to nine weeks. Before this, she had worked on another book for four and a half years, which she never managed to publish. When the idea for "Yesteryear" emerged, she started waking up at four or five in the morning to write two to three thousand words before her main work at the editorial office.

Burke herself emphasizes that her novel is not just about "traditional wives." In an interview with The New Yorker, she compared it to Herman Melville's "Moby Dick." In the writer's opinion, just as the famous novel is not limited to the story of a whale, "Yesteryear" touches upon much broader themes. Primarily, she was interested in how people idealize the past, distort facts, and create their own version of reality, which they then begin to believe.

Павялічыць

Hollywood Showed Interest in the Book Even Before Its Release

The success story of "Yesteryear" began long before the novel appeared in bookstores. Back in 2024, 12 publishing houses competed for the right to publish Burke's debut book. As a result, the contract went to the prestigious American publishing house Knopf, known for books by Gabriel García Márquez, Toni Morrison, and Haruki Murakami. According to The New Yorker, the contract amount exceeded one million dollars.

Soon after, Amazon MGM Studios acquired the film adaptation rights. Anne Hathaway, known for films like "The Devil Wears Prada" and "Interstellar," plans to play the main role. The actress will also serve as one of the producers and has already discussed with Burke how to translate the unusual plot to the screen. The writer herself will participate in the project as an executive producer. The adaptation is currently in the development stage.

However, unexpected fame brought Burke not only success but also a wave of criticism on social media. The writer admits that she sometimes feels similar to the main character of her novel. Strangers discuss her life, attribute unfamiliar views to her, and even spread rumors that Anne Hathaway wrote the book for her.

It is not yet known whether the novel will appear in Belarusian translation. However, it is already available in Ukrainian. The book was released by Vivat publishing house under the title "Вчоріч" (Vchorich). On October 28, a Polish edition of the novel translated by Elżbieta Janota is expected. It will be released by Wydawnictwo Poznańskie under its original title "Yesteryear."

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