Margaret Atwood, the author of The Handmaid’s Tale, has announced she is writing a sequel to the dystopian novel.
Titled The Testaments, the book will hit shelves on September 10, 2019.
It will pick up 15 years after the final scene in The Handmaid’s Tale, and follow the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead.
According to Entertainment Weekly, the book will not be connected to the TV series.
The author confirmed the news in a Twitter statement on Wednesday.
Speaking about the upcoming .book, she said:
“Dear Readers: Everything you’ve ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book.
“Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we’ve been living in.”
Yes indeed to those who asked: I’m writing a sequel to The #HandmaidsTale. #TheTestaments is set 15 years after Offred’s final scene and is narrated by three female characters. It will be published in Sept 2019. More details: https://t.co/e1umh5FwpX pic.twitter.com/pePp0zpuif
— Margaret E Atwood (@MargaretAtwood) November 28, 2018
The Handmaid’s Tale, which is told largely from Offred’s point of view, ends with her being placed in a van after becoming convinced that her role in the May Day resistance has been uncovered.
However, Nick – the Commander’s chauffeur and Offred’s lover – tells her that she doesn’t need to worry: he’s a member of May Day too, and the van is actually May Day’s, here to help her escape.
The ending is left ambiguous, though, as readers never find out what Offred’s ultimate fate was.
