Natalie’s view on the Lord seems to shift in Chapter 37. What do you think of this shift?
Natalie compares her life to that of a parable and goes so far as to think about being called a Saint. Do you think that despite the hardship of this life in the past, she has become more insufferable?
At the end of Chapter 37, Natalie realises two things. Do you think the second thing realised was inevitable?
How different do you think Natalie has become since becoming famous? Do you think she is letting this sense of fame overtake her life?
Why do you think Natalie was trying to hide money from her husband?
When Shannon first started working at the ranch, it seemed her bubble had burst. What do you think of her switch by the next morning? Do you think it is a precursor to what is to come?
What do you think of Natalie and Shannon’s relationship?
Were you surprised to read that Clementine didn’t know what an ocean was? What else do you think is missing from the curriculum chosen by Caleb?
When Natalie and her family attend Doug’s presidential campaign announcement, Shannon notes that Doug has plagiarised Natalie’s Instagram. What do you think of the new messaging, and do you think that Natalie, and her success, will be blamed for what is to come should Doug be elected?
As the chapters progress, we see Natalie losing more and more control. What do you think of the dynamic shift? Do you think it was happening prior to Doug’s campaign announcement or as a result of it?
Were you shocked to see that Natalie was orchestrating Caleb’s run for the Senate?
11 responses to “Yesteryear Day Six”
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1. Either the drugs are finally leveling her moods out or she’s settling into Stockholm Syndrome. Her view on the Lord seems to shift to justify how she’s feeling.
2. Hahaha, yes!! Whatever the circumstances, Natalie finds a way to make herself the main character.
3. Yes, of course.
4. I think being famous has allowed her to be who she is without having to pretend to care about other people. She’s withdrawn into her own fiefdom on the ranch, where she can exert total control on her kids and employees. Without the fame and money, she’s have to at least have a public persona that treats the kids better where other people can see.
5. Natalie has the measure of Caleb. She knows he’s going to crash out eventually and she wants a safety net to ride it out unscathed.
6. Shannon seems passionate and idealistic. When the bubble bursts on what she thought Yesteryear Ranch was, I think she overnight pivoted to the idea of doing an insider expose. I’m sure befriending the Nannies helped make up her mind.
7. Their relationship shines a light on many of Natalie’s flaws: she wants a friend, but also an employee, but also someone she can totally control, but without feeling like she’s controlling them. She wants Shannon to fall in line because she agrees with everything Natalie says, not because she’s forced to. She refuses to fire Shannon even though she correctly sees the relationship is destined for failure. She is paralyzed by the idea someone doesn’t like her and will speak badly of her online.
8. Absolutely SHOCKED. I figured their education would be non-existent given Caleb probably just throws some Bible-based worksheets at them and goes to watch conspiracy streamers, but to not know something so basic chilled me. It’s fun and everything to laugh at the ridiculously bad choices this family is making but horrific to think there are people out there actually neglecting their children’s education so badly.
9. Natalie isn’t the first or the last to profit off the #tradwife movement. I’m not surprised Doug and his team had ignored them up until Natalie’s success put it right under his nose. He probably dismissed it as ‘women’s stuff’. Finding a way to turn it to his own success was inevitable. He clearly has no principles or scruples and doesn’t care if the only way he gets into power is pandering to white supremacists. I don’t know if Natalie will be solely blamed – although women do often take the rap for men’s bad behaviour – but she’s definitely part of the equation.
10. Things have been spiraling out of control for Natalie since she hitched her wagon to Caleb. Or even before that when she slunk back to the campus church group instead of trying to make new friends. Doug’s campaign and the subsequent tightening of the purse strings just accelerated what was happening.
11. Not really. Natalie and Doug have been directing Caleb’s life since Clementine was born. Natalie needed something big to counter the assault becoming public.
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1. This was a difficult one for me because Natalie often felt abandoned by God throughout the story, yet her faith remained unwavering, even if it was a bit wonky. I don’t necessarily think her faith disappeared as much as her understanding of God shifted. For so long, she seemed to view God through the lens of rewards and punishments, and perhaps she was finally beginning to wrestle with the fact that faith doesn’t always come with easy answers.
2. Absolutely. Natalie has always been self-absorbed, and I don’t think hardship made her humble. In some ways, it made her even more insufferable. Calling herself a saint felt less like self-awareness and more like another way of convincing herself that her suffering made her special. Perhaps it was a coping mechanism, but she is no saint.
3. Yes, but it also doesn’t make sense and I think in the state she’s in this is the worst thing that could have happened to her.
4. I don’t think Natalie changed because of fame. She always believed she was entitled, better, perfect, and somehow divinely chosen. Fame simply helped maintain her perfect little world until it all came crashing down. It amplified what was already there rather than creating it.
5. Control. Natalie has always needed control, and I think she viewed Caleb as irresponsible. In her mind, she worked for that money and not Caleb. Hiding it gave her a sense of security and independence, but it also showed how little trust existed in their marriage.
6. Yes. It felt like Shannon went from “this is so cool” to realizing that something wasn’t right. Her shift made me think she was beginning to see beyond the image Natalie had created. It definitely felt like a warning that bigger problems were coming.
7. Their relationship felt stiff and awkward, almost like watching two enemies trying to be polite for the sake of appearances. It always felt as though they were playing nice rather than genuinely connecting. It was very much a “fake it till you make it” relationship.
8. Yes, I was shocked. If Caleb is as much of a conspiracy theorist as I suspect, I wonder if he even had a proper curriculum. It made me sad because how do you teach a child nothing about one of the most beautiful and important parts of the world? I imagine Clementine missed out on far more than facts. Curiosity, wonder, and exposure to different ideas all seem to have been sacrificed in favor of isolation.
9. I don’t think Natalie will be blamed. To me, it felt like Doug was using his daughter-in-law and the image of her family to sell his campaign. It was almost as if he was saying, “Look at this beautiful family. This is the American dream, and you can have it too.” The messaging felt less authentic and more like a marketing strategy built around nostalgia and idealism.
10. I think it was happening long before the campaign. Natalie was so consumed by maintaining her perfect image that she didn’t recognize how much control she was already losing. The campaign may have accelerated things, but the cracks were there all along.
11. Not really. In a strange way, it felt completely in character. Since they got married, she’s been trying to give him a purpose and direction per request of her father-in-law but she’s also been failing. She never really listens or asks Caleb what he wants… she just tries to control him like everything else.
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1. Sometimes it felt like Natalie saw her faith as a transaction. Here for the first time it seemed less “if I do this right, then I can expect X to happen for me.”
2. Yes, 100%. She is always the main character in her and never sees herself as ordinary and is always above everyone else.
3. Yes, about time she acknowledged it.
4. I think to the core, she stayed the same as certain traits has always been there. The fame just elevated those traits of control and image. Fame also made her accustomed to a certain lifestyle and that image she portrays takes over her life.
5. As always, it comes down to control. And being independent. I also thought she kept it as a safety net should things go south with her and Caleb.
6. Yes definitely. No one has their bubble burst like that and be fine with everything the next day, like nothing happened.
7. It is an unlikely friendship. Natalie mentions that she wants Shannon to like her. But maybe that is only due to the fact that she knows Shannon has the ability to destroy her.
8. Yes. Like what did Caleb teach them?? They probably think the earth is flat too.
9. I think the message and life Natalie lives on social media and what she stands for is well received in her community. Doug saw that gap and went for it. However, I don’t think she is to blame for Doug being power hungry and plagiarising her messaging. He could have done it to anyone.
10. I think it was happening before, she just didn’t want to face the reality of it as usual). It is easier to live in denial.
11. Nope, not at all. Very much aligned with her character trait and need for control. -
1. I found it interesting because it feels less performative than before. Her faith seems to be coming from genuine struggle rather than fitting into an image.
2. A little bit, yes. While she’s gained some self-awareness, she still has a tendency to make herself the center of the story.
3. Yes, I think it was. The clues had been building for a while, and it felt like Natalie was finally catching up to what the reader was already suspecting.
4. I think fame has shaped almost every part of her identity. She seems to struggle separating who she is from the version of herself she presents online.
5. I think it was about maintaining some control and independence. Deep down, she may not trust that her future is as secure as it appears.
6. Yes, I do. It felt like the beginning of Shannon buying into the fantasy rather than questioning it.
7. I find it fascinating because Shannon seems to admire Natalie, while also seeing parts of her that Natalie doesn’t want exposed. There’s a real imbalance in their relationship.
8. Yes, that surprised me. It made me think that curiosity, diversity of perspectives, and understanding the wider world are all being sacrificed.
9. I think the messaging shows how powerful Natalie’s brand has become. Whether it’s fair or not, I can definitely see people connecting her influence to the movement Doug is building.
10. I think it started long before the campaign. Doug’s announcement just accelerated a loss of control that had already begun.
11. Not really. Natalie has always been more strategic and ambitious than she lets people believe, so it felt very in character.
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1. This to me is like how most people are. And something a lot of us strive to do better because our relationship to God is mostly tied to the season we are in, in our lives.
2. Definitely, no matter what she goes through she never misses a chance to give main character energy.
3. Yes. I mean after all that’s the only thing she was truly dedicated to in order to keep her “life”.
4. I think at her core that’s who she’s always been. If anything it’s allowed her to fully be herself.
5. Because she wanted to have something of her own should the marriage end which I think she knew was inevitable. So she wanted to have something to start again with.
6. Definitely. She saw the truth and that made her question everything she’s even thought to be true about this family.
7. It’s fake with both of them having hidden agendas.
8. Not at all. I think there’s a lot that those children didn’t know because of how their parents treated them.
9. They will definitely blame her for it all and go as far as acting like they were not part of it all.
10. I think it’s happening prior. It was only a matter of time anyway.
11. Not really. I mean that woman orchestrated that whole man’s life.
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Natalie’s view on the Lord seems to shift in Chapter 37. What do you think of this shift? – I am surprised that it took so long to shift. She uses His view to excuse her behavior and to dignify her lifestyle.
Natalie compares her life to that of a parable and goes so far as to think about being called a Saint. Do you think that despite the hardship of this life in the past, she has become more insufferable? Oh, most definitely. No matter what situation, she seems to make herself the centre.
At the end of Chapter 37, Natalie realises two things. Do you think the second thing realised was inevitable? – Let’t be honest. It was about time.
How different do you think Natalie has become since becoming famous? Do you think she is letting this sense of fame overtake her life? – Yes, she is living for the camera and the next shot. She doesn’t even seem to realize how much this is affecting her personally. Also, being famous to her gives her makes her believe she can do what she wants.
Why do you think Natalie was trying to hide money from her husband? – She doesn’t really trust him. I think in her mind she sees him as a child and also that he didn’t do anything to earn that money. So, to her it is also a safety net knowing that her father-in-law is the reason they are where they are and I think she somehow suspects that at some point he won’t help anymore.
When Shannon first started working at the ranch, it seemed her bubble had burst. What do you think of her switch by the next morning? Do you think it is a precursor to what is to come? – I think that Shannon as a character from the beginning did show what type of person she is and will be in the story. It was quite interesting to see that Shannon thought that this might work but she is the complete opposite of what they actually are.
What do you think of Natalie and Shannon’s relationship? Shannon is the exact opposite to what Natalie is and how she thinks and how she acts. This was also very telling in a moral compass way that what Natalie tries to portray is the exact opposite of what modern woman are and the way they think. The dynamic in their relationship was strained from the beginning because Natalie questioned her about everything.
Were you surprised to read that Clementine didn’t know what an ocean was? What else do you think is missing from the curriculum chosen by Caleb? I was shocked but it didn’t surprise me in the end. Caleb has also a very skewed version of what he believes and the curriculum he chose was just another testament that both he and Natalie live in a completely warped world.
When Natalie and her family attend Doug’s presidential campaign announcement, Shannon notes that Doug has plagiarised Natalie’s Instagram. What do you think of the new messaging, and do you think that Natalie, and her success, will be blamed for what is to come should Doug be elected? – I think Doug saw an opportunity due to her follower count, and he used it to his advantage. It doesn’t surprise me that he did that. I do believe that this is going to be trouble for Natalie because she will be attached to Doug’s messaging going forward.
As the chapters progress, we see Natalie losing more and more control. What do you think of the dynamic shift? Do you think it was happening prior to Doug’s campaign announcement or as a result of it? I think the dynamic shift started earlier when Shannon started questioning all Natalie’s action and I think Doug’s campaign was the cherry on the preverbal cake.
Were you shocked to see that Natalie was orchestrating Caleb’s run for the Senate? – I was at first but then thinking back, she had a game plan since the beginning so in the end it actually made sense.
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1. I think that she realised that she wasn’t going through all of this because God was testing her. She was going through all of this as a result of the choices she made.
2. I think she became more delusional from trying to find a way to make sense of it all without considering that she may be the problem.
3. I think it was inevitable since she gets pregnant like clock work.
4. She’s become a slave to the numbers and the opinions of her audience that she doesn’t even know what’s happening around her in her own family. She’s isolated on the farm and is losing touch with her reality.
5. Natalie worked for that money and believed that she should be the only one entitled to it. She knew that if Caleb knew about it, he would want to strip that control from her and also have his share of it.
6. I think that Shannon realised that despite her learning the truth, she figured that she could still use it to her disposal, which she later on did when she exposed the truth.
7. Their relationship felt very fake in that both of them didn’t want to work with the other but they know that they’re dynamic is beneficial to both of them
8. No, Clementine has been isolated on the farm and her clueless father is the one teaching her. I think there is a lot of things missing in her curriculum. Caleb is probably teaching them anything he wants without actually considering what a child might not know especially if they’re not experiencing the world from their own lens
9. I don’t think she’ll be completely to blame but people will consider Natalie’s role in all of it.
10. I think it was happening before the campaign, it was just occurring in small increments
11. No. Natalie has always been the one to take initiative
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1. Natalie’s view on the Lord seems to shift in Chapter 37. What do you think of this shift?
I think her faith shifts and changes to suit her needs, and in this case it’s a coping mechanism for her distressing situation.
2. Natalie compares her life to that of a parable and goes so far as to think about being called a Saint. Do you think that despite the hardship of this life in the past, she has become more insufferable?
I get the impression that she needs to feel that she has a greater purpose in life. She can’t stand the thought that she might just be ordinary.
3. At the end of Chapter 37, Natalie realises two things. Do you think the second thing realised was inevitable?
Given her way of life, it was a definite possibility.
4. How different do you think Natalie has become since becoming famous? Do you think she is letting this sense of fame overtake her life?
Oh absolutely. It’s everything she’s ever wanted. The fact that other people are adoring her as much as she adores herself is the most important thing to her. Even the angry women give her attention she craves.
5. Why do you think Natalie was trying to hide money from her husband?
For a sense of freedom. I was so angry when he wanted to take that away from her. She may not be likeable, but she did deserve to keep at least some of what she earned.
6. When Shannon first started working at the ranch, it seemed her bubble had burst. What do you think of her switch by the next morning? Do you think it is a precursor to what is to come?
Definitely! She seized an opportunity.
7. What do you think of Natalie and Shannon’s relationship?
I think for Natalie, Shannon is the female friend she has long needed. For Shannon, the relationship is a means to her personal goals.
8. Were you surprised to read that Clementine didn’t know what an ocean was? What else do you think is missing from the curriculum chosen by Caleb?
It wasn’t a surprise. Everything is missing as there is no curriculum to speak of. He seems to just throw a few bible verses their way and not much more.
9. When Natalie and her family attend Doug’s presidential campaign announcement, Shannon notes that Doug has plagiarised Natalie’s Instagram. What do you think of the new messaging, and do you think that Natalie, and her success, will be blamed for what is to come should Doug be elected?
He did say he’d choose whatever messaging was necessary. Natalie is a product of a trend. She might be blamed, but politics and religion shaped her to begin with.
10. As the chapters progress, we see Natalie losing more and more control. What do you think of the dynamic shift? Do you think it was happening prior to Doug’s campaign announcement or as a result of it?
I think that’s when she started to see it, but it was happening long before.
11. Were you shocked to see that Natalie was orchestrating Caleb’s run for the Senate?
Not at all. There was foreshadowing of this all along.
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1. It shows that Natalie never truly worshipped God, she worshipped the curated power that religious language gave her over others, that weaponization of faith turns completely inward, sealing her inside her own prison.
2. Yes, she has absolutely become more insufferable here. For me what makes Natalie so annoying in these final stages is that her suffering hasn’t led to an ounce of genuine humility, self-awareness, or growth, she just digs herself deeper into a pit.
3. The second realization was absolutely inevitable, both psychologically and structurally, it needed to happen for her to come realize what was actually happening.
4. Her fame stripped her of genuine empathy and real world connection, leaving behind a woman so entirely overtaken by the performance of her life that she chose a literal prison of her own making over an uncurated reality, which is sad but also done so often these days.
5. Natalie’s decision to secretly hide her Instagram income and hide money from Caleb comes down to a mix of hidden vulnerability, control, and a severe lack of trust in her husband and the trad wife system she publicly championed. She said it herself she married a toddler, she couldn’t trust him to manage anything and thats when she had the notion already to hide funds for herself.
6. Shannon’s morning switch tells the reader that the ranch is no longer just a family delusion, it has officially become a game, and Natalie has completely misjudged her opponent in the worst way.
7. They use each other in such a way that there’s no room for sisterhood or empathy between them. Natalie views Shannon as an asset to expand her brand’s reach, and Shannon views Natalie as a stepping stone to a massive media scoop.
8. This shows us just how isolating living on this farm was, the curriculum wasn’t designed to educate, it was designed to handicap. By withholding basic concepts like the ocean, Caleb made sure the children lacked the vocabulary, and the confidence to ever imagine a life outside the ranch, which is sad for these kids as you would think a parent would want their child to learn about the world and what it offers.
9. She believed she was the one in control, scripting a parable for millions to consume. In reality though, she was just an unpaid focus group for her in laws political ambitions. If Doug succeeds, Natalie will be left holding the bag condemned by the public for radicalizing the culture, and discarded by the very men who used her blueprint to take power.
10. This dynamic shift wasn’t a sudden explosion caused by Doug’s campaign announcement, rather, the announcement acted as the catalyst that forced a pre-existing crack to come out into the open. Doug’s campaign told Caleb that his extreme, abusive control over his family wasn’t just acceptable, it was a winning political strategy. This completely shifted the domestic power dynamic between them.
11. This move highlights the irony of Natalie’s character. She is a woman trapped in a prison of her own design, giverned by laws she makes up, yet her first instinct is to try and build an even bigger cage for her and her family. I think she was so delusional at this point that this seemed almost like a natural fit for them.
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1) I think it was a coping mechanism. As long as she is good she will be rewarded.
2) YES. It is almost like she literally cannot come to terms with reality so she makes up random things to help her get by with the life she hates so much.
3) Yes it was inevitable. As much as she didnt want it, she wasn’t exactly preventing it in a way that makes sense.
4) I think that is is consuming her life to the point where she cant focus on anything else and nothing else matters
5) I think because she wanted some power back. He owned the farm, all the money came from his family. She just wanted to have some sense of control in case things go badly in their marriage.
6) The switch was heavy foreshadowing. She got there and realized this whole thing was a scam, and instead of getting out of there I think her plan is definitely to build up enough evidence to expose them and I think Natalie was so blind to not see that.
7) I think it’s an extremely toxic relationship and I feel like Natalie does not have the control she thinks she does. Shannon is in charge.
8) I was surprised just how badly brainwashed these poor kids were. I think many things were missing. The curriculum was based on the world they wanted to believe in, not the actual real world.
9) I think he saw that many people were falling for her brand and thought it was an easy way to become likeable to that population. Her followers and Caleb’s “manosphere” are like and like. I was worried that she would be blamed but she also decided to put that messaging out there.
10) I think it was slowly happening and she just wasn’t realizing it until it was too late.
11) Not at all. Natalie thinks that Caleb is a puppet to be controlled to her liking.
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1.A lot of Natalies actions are to do with what is currently happening in her life and this is no different. I think her view on the Lord shifts purely to suit her narrative.
2.She has become so so insufferable. You would think that after experiencing the hardship of this life in the past she would have become atleast a little more bearable.
3.It was most definitely inevitable! It was bound to happen especially since she wasn’t really trying to stop it.
4.Oh absolutely! Natalie has become a different person ever since becoming famous. It has taken over every aspect of her life to the point that she has not real sense of emotion or other thoughts that doesnt have to do with being famous.
5.I think it comes from a place of wanting to be independent. Despite the reality she is living, she has always wanted more than just being a house wife. So by trying to hide the money from Caleb was her way of trying to be independent and in some way being in control.
6.Absolutely! It was like she realised that it all wasn’t what she imagined it to be, and that it is basically all a farce.
7.Quite horrendous. Shannon is confident in herself and knows what she wants so I think this can be quite jarring for Natalie and results in them having a toxic relationship.
8.I am not surprised at all. They live such a closed life and Caleb comes across as quite aloof so I can see why he wouldn’t have chosen a curriculam for Celementine that teaches her what they want. I feel sorry for these kids as they’re being brainwashed in some way.
9.I don’t see why Natalie should be blamed as she has built a brand off of it that has become trendy. So it makes sense why Doug would want to
copy her and that people may put two and two together.
10.She was definitely losing control slowly prior to Dougs campaign but she may have just not noticed the loss of control.
11.Not one bit! It makes sense as she enjoys being in control and has always ochestrated what Caleb does next.
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