The Testaments

I greatly enjoyed The Testaments, which I couldn't quite say of The Handmaid's Tale. While I think that the latter is the better book, this one was a fantastic thriller that sucked me right in. Three characters provide their perspectives in The Testaments: Aunt Lydia, a powerful figure and one of the highest ranking women in Gilead's hierarchy; Agnes, a girl growing up in a well-off family in Gilead; and Daisy, a girl growing up outside of Gilead, in Canada.

The novel serves as a great expansion on the world of The Handmaid's Tale, and it was interesting to hear from such diverse viewpoints. Early on, it's revealed that Aunt Lydia is working against the regime. Her case serves as a timely reminder that, for the most part, the difference between “bringing down the system from the inside” and “full and enthusiastic participation” is imperceptible. Ultimately, I think that this lesson is the book's most noteworthy contribution, especially coupled with the knowledge that, while the book had a happy ending, it could just as easily not have.