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01st Feb 2019

The cover for Margaret Atwood’s sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale has been revealed

Keeley Ryan

The Handmaid's Tale

Author Margaret Atwood has revealed the cover for the sequel to The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments. 

The follow-up to the dystopian novel was announced in November last year. It will be released worldwide on September 10, 2019.

The author took to Twitter to unveil the cover for the highly-anticipated book – and fans were so excited.

In a statement, she said:

“I am so pleased that Noma Bar – who did such a brilliant job with the hardcover reissue of The Handmaid’s Tale – took on the challenge of designing the cover for The Testaments.

“It can’t have been easy, but he came through with a cover that is fresh and intriguing: within an apparently simple double image, there are hidden figures to be discovered – just as in the book. I hope you like it as much as I do.”

The sequel will pick up 15 years after Offred’s final scene in the novel, which sees her going into 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.

The Testaments  follow the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead – and now be connected to the TV adaptation.

The news of the book’s release was revealed in November 2018.

Atwood took to Twitter to confirm the news, telling fans:

“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.”