Caro Claire Burke

Natalie is a “tradwife,” a social media influencer, the mother of six, a bit of a scary person, and the protagonist in Caro Claire Burke’s chartbusting debut novel, Yesteryear. Natalie’s happy, cheerful on-camera demeanor belies the behind-the-scenes tensions in her life. Her persona is that of a pioneer wife living in the 21st Century. And then suddenly, in a deft plot twist, Natalie finds herself in 1855 facing the actual hardships of pioneer life. Burke’s detailed description of Natalie asks the readers to determine what is real. A film adaptation of Yesteryear is in the works with Anne Hathaway in the role of Natalie.

Burke attended the University of Virginia and received her MFA from the Bennington Writing Seminars. She is co-host of Diabolical Lies, a politics and culture podcast. Burke lives in Virginia.

“The premise is already an ingenious, exquisite, be-careful-what-you-wish-for… And in Burke’s biting prose, Natalie is an electric antiheroine.” — The New York Times