The book that made me mad at 1am


I finished a book last night that made me mad. And I mean that in the best possible way.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke had a premise I couldn't resist: a tradwife influencer forced to actually live in 1855. As someone who believes the past holds real wisdom worth recovering, I was curious. I wanted to see an author take that question seriously.

She didn't. And I've been sitting with why that bothers me so much. I also wasn't expecting to end up disappointed in Anne Hathaway.

You don't need to have read it — or ever plan to — for this to land. Because the book is really just the thing that cracked open a bigger question.

People are hungry for simpler food, more presence, genuine self-sufficiency. Burke felt that pull herself. She admitted it. And then she wrote a book proving the pull is dangerous instead of asking what it's actually for.

I think she should have asked: what is actually worth reclaiming from the past?

That's the whole point of Renaissance Rachel. It's what we're here to figure out together.

This isn't my usual type of post. I don't write a book review blog. But this one fired me up enough that I had to say something. And honestly? It got me thinking about writing the book it should have been.

[Read the full review →]

Have you read it?

Staying curious,

Rachel

Renaissance Rachel

For people who are done letting outside voices — technology, experts, cultural noise — drown out their own. Every issue explores how to reclaim your discernment, your body awareness, and your creative authority across the parts of life that matter most: technology, relationships, wellness, work, and creativity.

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