The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Handmaid's Tale

Let me just say that this book was originally published in 1985…1985The Handmaid’s Tale has been more publicized courtesy of Hulu and Alexis Bledel. I don’t subscribe to Hulu, so I didn’t jump on the bandwagon series. However, The Handmaid’s Tale was a free option with Kindle Unlimited, so I thought I’d give it a shot.

I’m super glad I did.

the handmaids tale

This is a book that starts in the heart of the action, and reflects back on how the characters got to be in those situations throughout the novel. As a big picture of the novel, it takes place in a super conservative bubble in the US. The government was overthrown, and bible thumpers and zealots took over. As a result, women were given one job, one task. Some were wives. If you weren’t able to produce children, your household was granted a Handmaid, whose sole purpose is to have a viable womb.

There are men and women condemned and hanged for things they did in their “past life” (when America was as we’re somewhat used to it). Things like being a doctor. I kid you not. Children were stripped from their homes and their families and raised how the zealots deemed appropriate.

I was not even a little bit expecting this book to be what it was. I had only seen promos for the show on cable when I visited my parents. It looked like something that took place back in the 1800s when women were generally suppressed, maybe in a convent or something. It completely caught me off guard that it took place in more modern times.

If you’re looking for an engaging read that’s going to surprise you, I would definitely recommend The Handmaid’s TaleIt was a fairly quick read and was good enough to distract me from my flight anxiety on a recent trip.

Note: This post contains affiliate links, so I may receive a commission from sales generated (at no extra cost to you!). Thank you for supporting me!

Leave a Reply