The Handmaid's Tale

A #1 New York Times bestseller and a modern dystopian classic, The Handmaid’s Tale presents a chilling vision of a society ruled by control and fear.

Set in the Republic of Gilead, a totalitarian regime that has replaced the United States, strict laws govern every aspect of life. With birth rates dangerously low, fertile women are forced into servitude as “Handmaids,” assigned to powerful families to bear children on their behalf.

Offred is one of them. Stripped of her freedom, her family, and even her real name, she lives under constant surveillance. Yet she quietly holds on to her memories and the hope that one day she might reclaim her life.

Powerful and unsettling, Margaret Atwood’s novel explores themes of power, identity, and resistance—and remains one of the most influential works of modern fiction.