Margaret Atwood Reveals Cover Of Highly Anticipated Sequel To ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’

Nearly 34 years after the release of her popular dystopian novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood has been busy working on her highly anticipated sequel to her beloved book, The Testaments. Atwood took to Instagram to share the artwork for the newest addition in the world of handmaids and Marthas, and fans of the iconic writer went wild for the reveal.

According to the snap posted by The Cat’s Eye author, the cover will have a modern, ambiguous feel. The cartoon style display, draped in heavy electric green and eye-catching blues, features a silhouette of a handmaid in standard uniform. At the bottom of the piece, a young woman makes up the collar of the handmaid’s uniform, sans the trademark bonnet white showing off a ponytail — giving off the sense that, without the typical Gilead approved garb, there is a sense of freedom.

As the Inquisitr previously reported, Atwood confirmed the sequel in November, sending out a series of tweets that had fans of the Canadian native’s writing clawing for more information.

“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,” Atwood said in a series of slides posted to her Twitter account.

She also mused that the newest novel will take place 15 years after Offred, the narrative voice of The Handmaid’s Tale, has her final scene. She confirmed that this latest addition will follow and be narrated by three female characters, and one can only assume that the efforts put forth by the secret societies forged together to bring down the totalitarian state have been unsuccessful.

The Handmaid’s Tale has been chewed over by avid readers for over three decades and has reached a new height of popularity thanks to Hulu’s adaptation of the novel. Starring Elizabeth Moss, the series followed the character of June Osborne/Offred, who acts as a surrogate for a wealthy family, though not by choice. Handmaids, in Atwood’s terrifying dystopian Gilead, are forced into homes where they are to be impregnated by commanders of the new nation — high ranking officials who govern the controversial society that has faced a decline in fertility.

Though Season 1 of the Hulu series followed, somewhat closely, Atwood’s original novel, Season 2 took some liberties with the plot — though Atwood served as a producer and had a hand in the direction of her characters.

Fans of Atwood took to her most recent post to express their excitement over this latest development. Not much has been revealed about the plot other than the author’s original confirmation post, but that hasn’t stopped her devotees and fans of the Hulu series from placing pre-orders for the next installment, which will be released in September 2019.

“I love it! I am so excited for this. I have read The Handmaid’s Tale many times and I almost wrote to you a few years ago because I am desperate to find out what happened next. I cannot wait to read it,” one fan gushed.

“Best news of the year so far,” added another.