The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Attwood takes us to the dystopian reality of the Republic of Gilead. People are oppressed and segregated, women are no longer allowed to read, environmental catastrophes threaten the existence of mankind, while birthrate declines drastically. Offred, the main character and narrator, is one of Gilead’s Handmaids – the few fertile women left in the former U.S. country. They are forced to serve the ruling class of men (the Commanders) and be sexually exploited by them in an attempt to repopulate the world. Offred is surrounded by hostility, discrimination, injustice and brutality, but the thought of reuniting with her daughter keeps her strong and hopeful.
The Handmaid’s Tale is a true literary masterpiece – one that intrigues, moves, startles and warns. In 2017 the American TV network Hulu aired a show based on Attwood’s book. As of June 2021, the fourth season is being broadcast.
Link to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/38447.The_Handmaid_s_Tale