The Handmaids Tale tells the story of Offred, a handmaid in the totalitarian Republic of Gilead. She is allowed to leave the home of the Commander and his wife only once a day to visit the market, whose signs are now pictures not words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray the Commander makes her pregnant because handmaids are valued only if able to have children. Margaret Atwoods dystopian tale was first published more than 30 years ago, but, as David Isaacs shows in this concise, compelling guide, the issues it raises are as relevant now as they were when it was written.