We love books that help spark meaningful conversations about women and money.
So we’re happy to see that two blockbuster books released so far in 2026 have gotten people talking about women’s finances, careers, and lifestyles.
The bursting of the Tradwife bubble
The first book is Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke, which we’ll be discussing at my neighborhood October book club meeting. The novel, which is a quick easy read, tells the story of a not-very-nice ‘tradwife’ social influencer with millions of followers who tune in for image-by-image views of her idyllic life on the farm, made-from-scratch recipes, and photogenic progeny. Her life – at least the version of it depicted on Instagram – seems perfect, until all of a sudden it blows up in an unforeseen twist.
From spouses to strangers
The second book that has created enormous buzz is Strangers by Belle Burden. It is a thinly fictionalized account of the sudden collapse of Burden’s marriage followed by a contentious divorce. Burden, in real life, is the moneyed granddaughter of former New York socialite Babe Paley and daughter of art collector and New York political figure Carter Burden.
Despite inheriting millions in family money and being counseled by (supposedly) competent wealth advisors, Burden makes some remarkably poor decisions about how to tend, spend and title her fortune, and it comes back to bite her when her trusted husband betrays her on multiple fronts.
Few women have access to Burden’s million dollar trust funds, but the principles apply to women of all generations and tax brackets. I can’t tell you how many concerned clients asked me to counsel their daughters about pre-nups and the dangers of combining assets prior to their weddings. Some listen, but many don’t. It’s not easy to tell a smitten bride-to-be she had better make contingency plans for the bitter undoing of her marriage.
Timely conversation starters
Neither book is perfect. There is some narrative sleight of hand behind Burden’s depiction of her finances, and for me, Burke’s plot advancement relied on too many unconvincing, jump-the-shark moments. But that aside, both books offer great conversational openings to explore the choices women make concerning marriage, careers, love, and money.
As inspiration, a recent Wall Street Journal article offered 4 questions women should ask about money after reading Strangers. My favorite is Question #3 – “I don’t know where our money is. Where do I start?”
Every woman – whether married, single, widowed, or partnered – should know what she has, where it is, and how it’s invested. By pulling this information together, you can create a Net Worth Statement. That in turn becomes the basis to help you answer future questions, like How much can I spend each year?, Will my money last long enough?, and What happens to my money at my death?
The takeaway
As experienced women might tell you, the first step on your money journey is the toughest one. You can gain fluency with money and money decisions just by starting to talk about money and asking the right questions. Let these books prompt a conversation with your friends, your book club, your advisor. But take a tip from Belle Burden, and don’t wait until it’s too late.