The Testaments

By: Margaret Atwood

Narrated by: Bryce Dallas Howard, Ann Dowd, Mae Whitman, Derek Jacobi, Tantoo Cardinal, Margaret Atwood

Length: 13 hrs and 18 mins

Publisher's summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

Winner of the Booker Prize 2019.

The British Book Awards Audiobook of the Year 2020

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is read by Ann Dowd, Bryce Dallas Howard and Mae Whitman with Derek Jacobi, Tantoo Cardinal and Margaret Atwood.

Margaret Atwood's dystopian masterpiece, The Handmaid's Tale, is a modern classic. Now she brings the iconic story to a dramatic conclusion in this riveting sequel.

More than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results.

Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third voice: a woman who wields power through the ruthless accumulation and deployment of secrets.

As Atwood unfolds The Testaments, she opens up the innermost workings of Gilead as each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she will go for what she believes.

'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.' Margaret Atwood

©2019 Margaret Atwood (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

Gripping, pacy and beautifully written (Justine Jordan)

Finding hope in a hopeless place, this is everything The Handmaid’s Tale fans wanted and more. Prepare to hold your breath throughout, and to cry real tears at the end. My book of the year (Kayleigh Dray)

The Testaments is Atwood at her best, in its mixture of generosity, insight and control. The prose is adroit, direct, beautifully turned. All over the reading world, the history books are being opened to the next blank page and Atwood’s name is written at the top of it. To read this book is to feel the world turning (Anne Enright)

Intoxicating

I loved the story and performances. The complication of the figure of Aunt Lydia was a stroke of genius.

Great sequel and narration

The Testaments is a worthy sequel to the Handmaids Tale. Great narration by reputable actors

Great book to listen to

I enjoyed revisiting the world of The Handmaid’s Tale, and it was nice to focus on other characters and experiences this time around. A lot of the plot points are fairly predictable, but it makes for easy listening and the performances are very good.

Outstanding

So many of my questions have been answered. This book was captivating from the outset and I could not stop listening. The performances were excellent and the storyline was riveting. Highly recommended!

Good book!

Really good book.
My only complaint is why Margaret, and I do love you, would you interject the part Numbers is such a profoundly drab way?
Other than that totally worth it!

Not bad

Some of the plot seemed contrived and unnecessary but it was still enjoyable. Witnesses A and B have extremely similar voices that I found hard to distinguish between as a non American

Fantastic

Loved the Handmaid's tale and was so excited when the Testaments came out! It was so interesting to hear the different povs of them! The narrators were so great as well!

For all of those who want to find out what happens next.

Having recently reread The Handmaid’s Tale to refresh my memories of the story, I was eager to find out what happened next. Although told from different perspectives, the novel was an excellent response to all of my questions. I enjoyed the three points of view, as they complimented each other beautifully and allow readers to see this world from a variety of perspectives. The narrators read beautifully (I could listen to Ann Dowd, in particular, all day) and, although i have yet to watch the series, interesting to note which elements from there have become cannon in the book world. A fantastic performance by all involved and, as ever, beautiful writing by Margaret Atwood.

Love love loved it!

Well worth the purchase if you've been following the Handmaid's Tale. I had only watched the series on TV and couldn't wait for the next season, so I grabbed the audio book to listen to. It didn't disappoint!

Wonderful

I really enjoyed listening to this story. It is clever and thoughtful. The actors brought a fresh feeling to the story.