I read Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke in 24 hours and need to talk about it with someone.

1. Natalie is such an unreliable narrator that I think it’s totally possible — likely, even — that Reena was telling the truth about the boy who violated her. Natalie was just horrified that Reena brought a boy home and was drinking; everything was filtered through that lens.
2. Reading about the attack on Shannon: I truly didn’t see it as a sexual assault at first. An assault? Of course. But until that news segment, I saw it as just a physical attack. After the news segment chapter, I read back the attack and noticed the discussion about Shannon’s underwear.
3. One of the most central points (themes) in this book is the Angry Women. The irony of this: the true Angry Woman was Natalie herself.
4. The parentification of children. We see this in fundie families – like the Duggars. We also saw this here. Young Clementine was told to watch her siblings. Poor Mary was basically running the household and her family.
5. Natalie never should have had children. Had this ever been presented to her as an option, she would’ve likely chosen to be childfree. She would’ve been a witch of a boss but had a career and lived in a city. And of course, this is why she hates the angry women. She desperately wants their life.
6. Natalie had postpartum depression and possibly psychosis. Had Caleb not been such a dunce, she could’ve gotten help. Had Doug not insisted on more kids, I think Clementine might have been an only child.

I’m often able to guess a book’s twist. It’s quite frustrating, haha. I couldn’t guess this one in a million years. I was wondering how the author would tie it together, but I truly imagined it was some weird time travel, she’d come back to present, Caleb would be a r•pist, she’d leave him, and gain notoriety for telling the real truth of her life.

This book is going to stick with me for a long time, I feel.

ETA: I should add that I have a 2 yo and a ten week old. Maybe that impacted how I read this book. I genuinely love being a mom, but I’m not a perfect parent. I love my kids more than anything.