Contents
Chapter 40
Overview
Natalie interviews and quickly hires Producer Shannon, drawn by Shannon’s framing of homesteading as a “way out” of the modern work maze. When Shannon moves in, disparities between Natalie’s image and reality surface—two nannies, tight quarters, and many workers. Caleb’s awkward theories unsettle Shannon, who photographs the laborers, making Natalie question the hire.
Summary
Natalie meets Producer Shannon at a coffee shop for an interview. Shannon, a pink-haired New Yorker, demonstrates surprising familiarity with Natalie’s content and calls her work radical, a roadmap for escaping the “maze” of traditional careers. Flattered and intrigued, Natalie offers Shannon the job via text the same day.
A week later, Shannon arrives at Yesteryear Ranch with suitcases. Natalie performs a whimsical welcome and begins a house tour, eager to craft content around their “small but perfect” home. Internally, Natalie hides the new merchandise stockpile and shipping backlog that undercut her anti-consumerist image.
Natalie shows Shannon the barn apartment, revealing two nannies stationed there. A messy scene with Jessa and Nanny Aimee highlights friction: Shannon hadn’t known about the nannies, and the cramped room disappoints her. Natalie counters by emphasizing Shannon’s salary and free lodging, pushing the narrative of frugality and community despite clear discomfort.
Out in the fields, Natalie introduces Shannon to Caleb. Caleb jokes about “Brooklyn,” then launches into bizarre claims about New York rats and low oxygen, unsettling Shannon. When Shannon asks how many people work there, Caleb estimates around twenty part-time workers, seasonally variable.
Instead of expressing excitement, Shannon photographs the distant workers, prompting Natalie to realize the mismatch between Shannon’s critical eye and the curated image of Yesteryear. The moment crystallizes Natalie’s fear that hiring Shannon may have been a mistake.
Who Appears
- Natalie Heller MillsInfluencer-homesteader, newly pregnant; hires Shannon, manages image, and grows uneasy as gaps between brand and reality show.
- Producer ShannonYoung, radical-leaning hire; praises Natalie as a ‘maze’ escape, moves in, questions operations, photographs workers, unsettling Natalie.
- CalebNatalie’s husband; presents a folksy persona, makes odd claims about New York and rats, estimates worker count.
- Nanny AimeeBarn-apartment nanny; appears disorganized, caring for Jessa during Shannon’s arrival, highlighting household reliance on childcare.
- JessaNatalie’s young daughter; with the nannies during Shannon’s room introduction, underscoring domestic realities.
- Nanny LouiseHomeschooling nanny; off-page presence referenced during initial house quiet and schooling setup.
- Home Depot workersHired laborers seen on lunch in the field; their presence prompts Shannon’s questions and photography.