Power Struggle

Is it just us, or does Margaret Atwood’s 1985 dystopian novel feel particularly timely? There’s the recent miniseries, plus it’s increasingly namechecked by women’s-rights advocates. Offred, the titular handmaid, is the property of the Commander and must bear him and his wife a child. Relevant themes (the politicization of women’s bodies, for example) make this essential reading. — AD The Handmaid’s Tale (Mcclelland & Stewart) by Margaret Atwood, $18.