Unearth the Story: "Yesteryear" Kickoff

This summer, we're doing book club differently . . . Join us at NOPL North Syracuse for a limited-run series where we dig into one of the most talked-about—and debated—novels of 2026: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke. Love it? Hate it? Still deciding? You’re exactly who we want in the room. We’ll kick things off July 2 with a casual book pick-up meeting. Grab a copy, get the full meeting schedule, and learn what to expect—no pressure, just a chance to get started and meet other readers. Over the summer, we’ll go beyond the page with flexible book club meetings exploring the book’s biggest questions, boldest choices, and the conversations it’s sparked across media. We’ll dig into themes, reactions, and outside perspectives—from articles to interviews—to explore this multifaceted novel. Come to one session or all. No lectures, no homework—just thoughtful discussion, hot takes, and a chance to connect with other readers. Bring an open mind and a willingness to be challenged! Whether you’re a regular reader or haven’t joined a book discussion in years, this is your invitation to try something new. (This book club is for adults) Registration encouraged at Unearth the Story: "Yesteryear" Kickoff - NOPL Events - Northern Onondaga Public Libraries . Copies of the book available at the library. Meeting Schedule: July 2 - book/schedule pickup July 13 - Meeting 1: Discussion of Part One August 6- Meeting 2 : Chapter 1-26 August 27- Meeting 3: Chapter 27- The End About the book: "A GMA BOOK CLUB PICK • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A traditional American woman, a “tradwife” influencer, suddenly awakens in the brutal reality of 1855—where she must unravel whether this living nightmare is an elaborate hoax, a twisted reality show, or something far more sinister in this sensational debut novel. My name was Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive. Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it. Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible. A gripping, electrifying novel that is as darkly funny as it is frightening, Yesteryear is a gimlet-eyed look at tradition, fame, faith, and the grand performance of womanhood."