The Testaments

Chatto & Windus. London: Chatto & Windus, 2019 Large 8vo., navy blue publisher's boards, embossed with handmaid device to both boards; lettered in white to spine with publisher's device to foot; green ribbon marker; decorative endpapers; in the original unclipped pictorial dust jacket (£20.00) illustrated by Norma Bar, with author's black and white photograph to the rear flap; pp. [xiii], 4-419, [iii]; a near-fine copy, with compression to head and foot of spine echoed by ever-so-slight creasing to the spine tips of dust jacket; circular 'Signed by the author' sticker to the upper panel.  First edition, with full number line 1-10. Signed by Atwood in her customary black ink pen to the title page.  When The Handmaid's Tale was released in 1985, it caused a stir with its chilling depiction of a dystopian future in which decreased fertility has led to patriarchal society focused around the limitation of women's rights. It wasn't until 2019, however, that Atwood released The Testaments, the long-awaited sequel, which continued the tale from the perspective of the protagonist's daughter. The move to write a continuation of the story may have been prompted, in part, by the much acclaimed 2017 television series based upon the original book, which starred Elizabeth Moss and Joseph Fiennes, and which won the Golden Globe for Best Television Series along with a series of Emmy Awards.  Upon publication, The Testaments was jointly awarded the Booker Prize, along with Benardine Evaristo's Girl, Woman, Other.  . Near Fine. Hardcover. 1st Edition. 1st Printing. 2019.