A review by suitelifeonbec
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood is a novel turned hulu television series that takes place in an alternate reality set in 1980s. In this novel the United States Government sets up an extremely conservative regime called Gilead. The Government takes away all of a woman’s rights and displaces old women, people of color, lgbt people, and Jewish people in a radioactive wasteland known as the colonies.

The novel tells the story of a woman named Offred who attempts to escape to Canada but fails. She is forced into becoming a handmaiden for a commander who would end up secretly having an affair with her. However, this isnt the only set of secret interactions she has. Through the Commander’s wife, Serena, she meets Nick. Nick and Offred develop a relationship though it becomes uncertain if Nick is a person Offred should trust or not.

This novel sparked a lot of commentary during the Trump presidency, especially during both supreme court nominations. The handmaiden’s cloak has become synonymous with resistence against conservatism in the real world, which speaks volumes towards the novel’s impact.