
“‘Yesteryear’ shines another light on the Trad Wife culture war”
From Brendan O'Connor by RTÉ Radio 1
May 3, 2026 · 8 min
About this episode
The episode discusses the novel 'Yesteryear' and its commentary on Trad Wife culture through the lens of a modern influencer transported to the past.
The new novel ‘Yesteryear’ imagines what would happen if a modern-day trad wife influencer woke up in 1855, forced to actually live in the era she’s been romanticising on social media. Ellen Coyne, Political Correspondent of the Irish Times, tells Brendan about why it’s striking such a chord and posing wider questions about mothers’ choices.
People in this episode
Host: Brendan O'Connor
Guest: Ellen Coyne
Topics covered
- Trad Wife culture
- modern influences
- historical fiction
- women's choices
- social media impact
Keywords
- Trad Wife
- Yesteryear
- Ellen Coyne
- social media
- women's choices
- historical fiction
- Irish Times
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Irish Times
Books & works: Yesteryear
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