Set about 15 years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood returns readers to the Republic of Gilead through the eyes of three women: the daughter of a high-ranking official; a teenage anti-Gilead activist in Canada; and Aunt Lydia, who will give Handmaid’s Tale readers painful flashbacks of her abusive approach to training new handmaids, yet this time around also unveils the secrets of totalitarian society’s struggles. The novel, a co-winner of this year’s Booker Prize, answers questions that have gnawed at readers both old and new for decades. Originally released in 1985, The Handmaid’s Tale surged back to the bestseller lists around the time President Trump was sworn into office. A few months later, Hulu debuted a TV series based on the novel. The streaming service and MGM announced this year that they will also develop The Testaments. But this sequel is far more than fan service. It offers something of an antidote to the dread inspired by its predecessor: hope.
Buy now: The Testaments