The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Book description
Offered is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets where signs are now in pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant because, in an age of declining births, Offered and other Handmaids are only valued if their ovaries are viable. Offered can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now…. Funny, unexpected, horrifying, and altogether convincing, The Handmaid’s Tale is at once scathing satire, dire warning, and tour de force. Published in 1985, 325 pages.
Description from book jacket
Research the author and the book using library resources
Information on the author’s life and works is available through our library’s online resources. Recommended online resources for The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood include Literature Resource Center and Expanded Academic ASAP. Enter your library barcode and then use the author’s name or the book title to search for full-text encyclopedia or magazine articles.
Discussion questions
The Handmaid’s Tale discussion questions from readinggroupguides.com
The Handmaid’s Tale Readers’ Group Companion from Books@Random
Additional information
Interview with Margaret Atwood in Mother Jones
Margaret Atwood links on Poets.org
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