Caro Claire Burke's YESTERYEAR w/ Keziah Weir

Join Mechanics' Hall and PRINT: A Bookstore at Stevens Square Theater for Caro Claire Burke's Maine book launch of YESTERYEAR, a #1 New York Times Bestseller, A GMA Book Club pick, and a New York Times Best Book of the Year (so far). The celebrated author will be joined in conversation by Maine-based writer and author Keziah Weir.

Tuesday, July 28, at 7:00 PM (doors 6:30 PM), approximately 90 minutes including Q&A and a book signing.

ABOUT THE BOOK

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."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CARO CLAIRE BURKE received her Master’s in Fine Arts from the Bennington Writing Seminars. She is the co-host of Diabolical Lies, a politics and culture podcast. Yesteryear, a #1 New York Times best seller, is her first novel.

ABOUT THE CONVERSATION PARTNER

KEZIAH WEIR is the author of the novel The Mythmakers, which was named a New York Times Book Review Editors' Choice. She was previously a staff writer and editor at Vanity Fair and Elle, and her writing has also appeared in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Review of Books, and many others. She grew up in San Francisco, California and on Salt Spring Island, British Columbia, and now lives in Maine.

PARKING, TRANSPORTATION & ACCESSIBILITY

Free on-site parking is available for event attendees. The Stevens Square Community Center campus offers ample parking, including accessible parking spaces located near the main entrance.

The venue is located at 631 Stevens Avenue and is served by Greater Portland Metro bus routes along Stevens Avenue. The building is wheelchair accessible, with step-free access to the theater and accessible parking available near the main entrance. Guests with specific accessibility or seating needs are encouraged to contact the venue in advance for assistance. Email us at [email protected].