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The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
One Book One Bloomington 2013 Community Read!

Discussion Leader: Wendy Rubin

The story takes place in the futuristic Republic of Gilead (the United States renamed), which is governed by a group of religious fanatics. The story is told through the eyes of Offred, whom her society defines solely by her biological function as a child-bearer. In eloquent prose, Atwood reveals her themes of power and its manipulation, gender conflict, the place of the individual in society, and the power of language and storytelling. The novel has been frequently challenged and banned in schools, made into a film and an opera, and has not been out of print since its publication.