The Testaments

Margaret Atwood’s spellbinding sequel to The Handmaid's Tale was inspired by readers’ responses to the first book and ‘the world we’ve been living in’. ‘Dear Readers: Everything you’ve ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we’ve been living in.' - Margaret Atwood‘And so I step up, into the darkness within; or else the light.’ When the van door slammed on Offred’s future at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, what lay ahead for her? Freedom or prison? Life or death? The Testaments picks up the story fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead. and whilst the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives and explosive testaments of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results. "It is a savage and beautiful novel that speaks to us today with conviction and power. The bar is set unusually high for Atwood. She soars." - The 2019 Booker Prize JudgesMargaret Atwood is the world-renowned author of more than 50 books of fiction, poetry and critical essays. The multi-award-winning author has also worked as a cartoonist, illustrator, librettist, playwright and puppeteer. Her novels include Cat’s Eye, The Robber Bride, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin and the MaddAddam trilogy. Her 1985 classic, The Handmaid’s Tale, was followed in 2019 by a sequel, The Testaments, which was a global number one bestseller and won the Booker Prize. She has also been shortlisted for The Man Booker International Prize 2005 and 2007 for her entire body of work. WINNER OF THE BOOKER PRIZE LONGLISTED FOR THE SCOTIABANK GILLER PRIZE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER Margaret Atwood's dystopian masterpiece, The Handmaid's Tale, has become a modern classic—and now she brings the iconic story to a dramatic conclusion in this riveting sequel. More than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results. Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third voice: a woman who wields power through the ruthless accumulation and deployment of secrets. As Atwood unfolds The Testaments, she opens up the innermost workings of Gilead as each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she will go for what she believes. "The literary event of the year." — The Guardian "The international literary event of the season." — Globe and Mail "It's terrifying and exhilarating." —Judges of the Booker Prize 2019 The Testaments is a modern masterpiece, a powerful novel that can be read on its own or as a companion to Margaret Atwood’s classic, The Handmaid’s Tale . More than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid’s Tale , the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results. Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third: Aunt Lydia. Her complex past and uncertain future unfold in surprising and pivotal ways. With The Testaments , Margaret Atwood opens up the innermost workings of Gilead, as each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she will go for what she believes. Longlisted For The Booker Prize In This Brilliant Sequel To The Handmaid's Tale, Acclaimed Author Margaret Atwood Answers The Questions That Have Tantalized Readers For Decades. When The Van Door Slammed On Offred's Future At The End Of The Handmaid's Tale, Readers Had No Way Of Telling What Lay Ahead. With The Testaments, The Wait Is Over. Margaret Atwood's Sequel Picks Up The Story More Than Fifteen Years After Offred Stepped Into The Unknown, With The Explosive Testaments Of Three Female Narrators From Gilead. Dear Readers: Everything You've Ever Asked Me About Gilead And Its Inner Workings Is The Inspiration For This Book. Well, Almost Everything! The Other Inspiration Is The World We've Been Living In. —margaret Atwood "In this brilliant sequel to The Handmaid's Tale, acclaimed author Margaret Atwood answers the questions that have tantalized readers for decades. When the van door slammed on Offred's future at the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead. With The Testaments, the wait is over. Margaret Atwood's sequel picks up the story fifteen years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead."-- Provided by publisher