A beautiful hardcover edition of Atwood's iconic dystopian novel. Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state formerly known as the United States. She is assigned to the household of Commander Fred Waterford – her designated name, Offred, means 'of Fred'. She has only one function: to bear children. If Offred refuses to enter sexual servitude to repopulate a devastated world, she will be hanged. Yet even a repressive state cannot extinguish hope and desire. As she recalls her life before the revolution in flashbacks, Offred must navigate the terrifying landscape of torture and persecution in the present and choose between two men upon whom her future depends. Masterfully conceived and executed, this haunting vision of the future places Margaret Atwood at the forefront of dystopian literature. As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it. Vintage Quarterbound Classics: beautifully captivating.