The Testaments (The Handmaid's Tale, book 2) by Margaret Atwood (#1 in 2020)
At the end of The Handmaid's Tale, readers are left wondering what became of the female protagonist, Offred. The Testaments, however, clarifies a lot of the questions we were left with at the end of the first book. The Testaments picks up about 15 years after Offred left us on a cliffhanger and three women give their testimonies in regards to GIlead, the religious republic that, in the future, takes over most of the United States.
The three narrators are:
1. Aunt Lydia: Carried over from The Handmaid's Tale, Aunt Lydia remains the same oppressive law-enforcer, doling out punishment for girls who don't follow the rules. This time, Aunt Lydia's own voice shines as she gives her own backstory and opinions on Gilead society.
2. Daisy: As a 16 year-old from Canada, a free society on the border of Gilead, Daisy is opinionated and loud and provided with much more freedom than other girls her age just over the border. She is identified as Witness 369B as she explains the impact Gilead's society eventually had on her.
3. Agnes: Born in Gilead and without any knowledge of the outside world, Agnes is the daughter of a Commander and his wife. Unlike the handmaids in Gilead, Agnes learns that her future as a female is much brighter than that of some other women, and she develops her own opinions on how females are treated.
Margaret 👏 Atwood👏 is👏 the👏 queen!👏
I was super late to the game, but I finally read The Handmaid's Tale this past summer (2019) and I liked it. I liked the premise, I liked the open-interpretation, and I loved the social commentary. The style of the book was sort of a double-edged sword for me. Part of me loved that the story was in Offred's stream of consciousness because it fit the motif of being silenced, but the other part of me wanted her to verbally communicate more with the other characters. I liked it a lot and ultimately gave The Handmaid's Tale 3.5 stars...
But this... The Testaments... I LOVED! I loved the alternating perspectives and how each character's story tied in with the others. I loved how each woman demonstrated her own version of strength in a society where female empowerment is discouraged or otherwise illegal. I love how each woman's personal history is contrasted with the others and how each woman pokes holes in the male-dominated government and hierarchy of Gilead. The Testaments speaks a lot of "truth" as it provides some insight into our country's current climate and the warning of a dystopian future that could befall us if changes are not made.
I know there was a lot of It's difficult to write a review that doesn't include spoilers, so I'll be a bit vague and just leave it at my rating -- 4.5 stars and the perfect way to start off a new year of reading!
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