In high school we all had to read that those books that we just didn’t want to read but knew it was inevitable. “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood is a classic novel that I gladly would have traded with one of those books.

However, I can also understand why it isn’t on the required reading list and why it made it onto the banned book list.

If you’re thinking that a handmaid is a type of house keeper, that’s where this book begins to take a turn for the unique. “The Handmaid’s Tale” follows the story of a girl named Offred in a dystopian society where the birth rate is very low and because of that some men are given handmaids. These handmaids are allowed to leave the house once a day to walk in pairs to the market and walk straight home. They are no longer allowed to read. And once a month they must lie on their back and hope they get pregnant.

While Offred is telling her tale, she is also remembering the life she had before with her husband Luke and their daughter.

This is a book that definitely raises a lot of questions that don’t really get answered. Why aren’t these women just allowed to marry and have their own babies? Why aren’t they allowed to read? Why are only married men allowed handmaids?

It is a well-written book that has the potential to cause a lot of chaos in literature circles and has most certainly caused enough to be considered for banning. “The Handmaid’s Tale” came in at number 88 of the Top Banned/Challenged Books: 2000-2009 List according to the American Library Association. Many schools have deemed it inappropriate, which is why we get to read books like “1984” by George Orwell.

This is one of my favorite dystopian novels to date. After reading this book, most of the teen themed dystopian novels that we see on the shelves today feel really cheerful and light. It was kind of nice to be left with questions. Offred’s story is captivating and heartbreaking, a book I hope you pick up from our very own Madison College Library.