Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Yesteryear is described as both a psychological thriller and a social satire. Which of these elements resonated more with you as you were reading? Did you find the novel was more effective at building suspense or at critiquing influencer culture?

2. How does Yesteryear serve as a modern response or critique to idealized portrayals of the American frontier found in works like Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House on the Prairie? Did the novel change the way you think about this period?

3. The novel features a major twist in Part Three, revealing that the 1855 timeline is a self-imposed delusion on the modern-day ranch. Did this revelation work for you? How did it change your interpretation of Natalie’s experiences and the character of Old Caleb?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Natalie’s mother gives her a piece of advice that becomes the foundation for her influencer career: imagine you are always being watched. In what ways have you felt the pressure to perform a certain role or persona in your own life to meet internal or external expectations?

2. Natalie often feels like the fate of her family depends on her. Have you ever felt similar pressures in your own family or household? How so, and how do you manage this expectation?

3. The novel explores the immense pressure of modern motherhood, which drives Natalie to build her curated Yesteryear brand. How do you deal with stressful or high-pressure situations?

4. The Yesteryear brand is built on a longing for a simpler past. Are there any historical eras or lifestyles that you find yourself feeling nostalgic for? What are your thoughts on that era now that you’ve read this novel?

5. Caleb and Natalie’s marriage is built on the idea that they can remake each other into their ideal partners. What did you think of this dynamic? Do you believe it is possible for one person to fundamentally “fix” or change another in a relationship?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The narrative directly engages with the 21st-century “tradwife” movement. What do you think is the novel’s primary critique of this trend and its relationship to consumerism, female autonomy, and traditional gender roles?

2. What does the discovery of the “MANOSPHERE” cabin suggest about the connection between the romanticization of the past and modern online extremism? 

3. Natalie’s eldest daughter, Clementine, rebels by demanding, “Stop filming me” (24). How does this reflect growing public concerns about children providing content for their parents’ social media brands? What ethical questions does this raise for you?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. What is the effect of the novel’s dual-timeline structure? How does Burke use this structure to build suspense and explore the novel’s themes?

2. The Yesteryear Ranch farmhouse is a central symbol. How does its meaning transform?

3. How does Mary, the stern and capable daughter in the 1855 timeline, function as a foil to Natalie? What does their relationship reveal about the difference between domestic labor as an aesthetic and a necessity?

4. Clothing is a motif used to explore identity. How do Natalie’s wardrobe choices, from her branded aprons to the drab pioneer garments, track her journey from a powerful content creator to a powerless captive?

5. Natalie’s internal monologue is deeply cynical and contemptuous, making her an unreliable narrator. At what point did you begin to question her version of reality, and how did her narration shape your experience of the story?

6. How does Yesteryear’s exploration of a self-imposed patriarchal prison compare to the state-enforced subjugation seen in dystopian novels like Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. The epilogue introduces Mary’s memoir, The Book of Mary. Beyond the prologue we read, what other stories or perspectives from her time on the ranch do you imagine Mary would share in her book?

2. At the end of Part Three, before their arrest, Natalie and Caleb walk away from the ranch together. What do you envision their conversation was like as they left, and what kind of future, if any, could they have made for themselves?

3. What do you think happened to the Yesteryear brand and its millions of followers after the full story of Natalie’s crimes was revealed? How might her loyal fans and her critics have reacted to the truth behind the curated fantasy?