Review: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Well, after 3 recommendations from friends in 3 different circles of mine over the last month, I decided to crack this one open. A "book like this," is atypical for me. I'm not a big fan of dystopian books. And, part of that is probably self-preservation. I feel that reading is my one true escape, drowning out the noise, chaos, and connection to this overwhelming world. Many days, I find I have more questions about what is going on with humanity. And, I'm often left with no answers :) Reading helps me not worry about it. It allows me to think all it will all be okay. And, each ended book is a small victory, a journey neatly tied with twine. 


But this one. This book sucked me right in. I'm telling you, I honestly think that 15 years ago, it wouldn't have been as great a read. But, because (unfortunately) of the way things have been going lately, it's incredibly easy and likewise frightening that this book could be a lot closer to really happening than it was when written so long ago.


Each time I stopped to put this one down, I found that I was able to talk to others about it. And, that's another reason that I probably loved it so much. This book begs to be a topic of discussion. And, can we just agree that anyone who dreamt up this book more than 30 years ago and it just happens to be this relevant is either a psychic or a visionary unlike any I've ever heard of. 

It took me awhile to get the Marthas straight and understand the hierarchy of the society. And, it really impressed me the way that Atwood wove religion and faith into the writing in a way that you could dissect in a book club for weeks on end. Fascinating!


If you have read this book before, I wonder if you read the foreward that was added by the author in 2017. If not, you really should see if you can borrow it from a friend or view it online. 

Cheers to book recommendations, borrowed books, friends that know my heart, and dystopia.

Also, Margaret Atwood has written a SECOND book to follow this one. It's going to be called The Testaments and according to Amazon, it's going to be someone besides June as the narrator. It comes out in September and will be one of the books I'll review and post here.