Did you ever wonder what 1984 might have been like if Winston Smith had been a female sex-slave servicing the members of the Inner Party? Me neither. Well Margaret Atwood did (kind of). Her book, The Handmaid's Tale, is a dystopian tale, like Orwell's, but with a female protagonist and a female perspective.

As far as a dystopian novel is concerned, Atwood's book is not as prolific as 1984, but hey...what is? (I use this word 'dystopian' a lot. Some of you might be wondering if this genre is for you. Here's the test: If you find yourself constantly fantasizing about the collapse of civilization, if you feel the return of Fascism hovering on the horizon like a dark cloud, if there's a bumper-sticker on your car that reads: "Apocalypse or Bust" then yes, it's for you.)

BOTTOM-LINE: This book is poignant without being preachy, heavy and yet still thoroughly enjoyable.