Caro Claire Burke's Yesteryear hits bestseller

Caro Claire Burke’s debut novel “Yesteryear” moved from a spring release into a broader commercial breakout within weeks of publication. Penguin Random House lists the book as a No. 1 New York Times bestseller following its April 7 release, and Publishers Weekly placed it at No. 3 on its hardcover fiction list dated April 20. AOL reported on May 15 that the novel had become a BookTok-driven hit, adding that it had also landed a “Good Morning America” Book Club selection and generated heavy discussion on Goodreads. The book centers on Natalie Heller Mills, a tradwife influencer who wakes up in the mid-19th century and has to confront the physical reality behind the aesthetic she sells online. (penguinrandomhouse.com) ### How fast did “Yesteryear” break out? April 7 is the book’s publication date, according to Penguin Random House, which also lists the hardcover at $30 and describes the novel as 400 pages. By April 17, Publishers Weekly said “Yesteryear” had taken the No. 3 spot on its hardcover fiction list in the April 20 issue. (aol.co.uk) Penguin Random House now markets the title as a “#1 New York Times Bestseller,” indicating that the book moved beyond an early niche audience into the top tier of commercial fiction sales. AOL’s May 15 report described that rise as part of a wider wave of online attention across BookTok and Goodreads. (penguinrandomhouse.com) ### What is the novel actually about? Penguin Random House says Natalie Heller Mills is a “tradwife” influencer whose curated image hides producers, industrial kitchen equipment and a family business operation built for social media. The setup changes when she wakes up in 1855 and has to decide whether she is in a hoax, a reality show or something more sinister. (penguinrandomhouse.com) Burke’s own site uses similar language, describing a woman who sells a pioneer lifestyle to millions of followers before awakening “cold, filthy, and terrified” in 1855. The official materials frame the book as suspense with satire, rather than a straight historical novel. ### Where did the BookTok angle come from? AOL said the novel became one of spring’s most talked-about books through BookTok discussion, Goodreads reaction and the lift from a national book club pick. “Good Morning America” named “Yesteryear” its April book club selection, giving the title a mainstream television platform early in its release cycle. (penguinrandomhouse.com) (caroclaireburke.com) Burke told Variety that she had not expected the scale of the response. AOL, quoting that interview, reported Burke saying, “I had no expectation of making the New York Times bestseller list at all.” ### What has Burke said about the material behind it? Penguin Random House says Burke became interested in tradwife discourse after downloading TikTok in the winter of 2024 and joining conversations about feminism and media literacy. (aol.co.uk) AOL reported that Burke has discussed tradwife culture on TikTok and co-hosts the politics and culture podcast “Diabolic Lies.” Variety interviewed Burke in May as she was on tour in cities including Waco, Texas, Salt Lake City, New York and Boston. That interview focused on the novel’s reception, its ending and the coming adaptation. ### What is happening with the screen adaptation? July 31, 2024 is when Deadline reported that Amazon MGM Studios won an auction for the rights to adapt “Yesteryear.” Deadline said Anne Hathaway was attached to star and produce, and that the studio was in final talks at the time of that report. (penguinrandomhouse.com) June 24, 2025 is when Deadline reported that Hannah Friedman had been tapped to write the adaptation for Amazon MGM Studios, with Hathaway still attached. (variety.com) That gives the project named creative personnel beyond the initial rights deal. May 2026 coverage has tied those threads together: a debut novel released on April 7, a bestseller run within weeks, and an adaptation already in development at Amazon MGM Studios with Hathaway attached and Friedman writing. (deadline.com) Readers can find the book through Penguin Random House retail listings, while Burke’s tour and media appearances continue to extend the promotion around the novel. (penguinrandomhouse.com) (deadline.com)