Throughout the month of April, we will be reading The Testaments by Margaret Atwood. The Testaments is the lesser known sequel to the highly popular book, The Handmaid's Tale. In this book, several women record their stories from inside Gilead. As readers, we learn more about the way the theocratic state of Gilead developed and how it's founders gained power, as well as the lifestyles of young, marriage-age girls, aunts, and Pearl Girls (the missionary women tasked with bringing converts over the borders into Gilead. We also learn the story of Baby Nicole, a child that was smuggled out of Gilead, who became a rallying cry for the most devout citizens of Gilead. If you are having trouble finding this book in your area, it is available for free through InternetArchive or you can use LibraryLink to search for this book at a library near you. You might also like to check Thriftbooks if you are looking for a second-hand copy.
Prompt 1:
Welcome back to the Underground Bookshelf Book Club! During the month of April, we are reading The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale. Today's two prompts come from Reading Group Guides. The prompts are as follows:
The first prompt is:
"Clothes play a dual role in the novel. They signal life stages as well as status and class: The pink, white and plum dresses worn by 'special girls,' the drab prison-like stripes of the Econofamilies; and the green dresses of the betrothed girls. Did this aspect of the novel strike you as odd? Or is it actually not very different from our own obsession with brands and logos that convey a certain level of wealth and status?"
The second prompt is:
"Aunt Lydia tells us that Gilead actually has 'an embarrassingly high emigration rate.' Can those who manage to leave Gilead ever truly 'escape'?"
Prompt 2:
Welcome back to the Underground Bookshelf Book Club! During the month of April, we are reading The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale. Today's prompt comes from Reading Group Guides. The prompt is as follows:
The first prompt is:
"Daisy/Jade is, to say the least, a reluctant revolutionary. But if you were her age and were asked to absorb all of the shocking information she has to process in a very short period of time, would you have reacted any differently?"
The second prompt is:
"When Aunt Lydia dons the garb of the female stadium shooters, she says, 'I felt a chill. I put it on. What else should I have done?' What would you have done?"
Prompt 3:
Welcome back to the Underground Bookshelf Book Club! During the month of April, we are reading The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale. Today's prompt comes from Reading Group Guides. The prompt is as follows:
The first prompt is:
"Agnes’ interpretation of 'Dick and Jane' showcases Margaret Atwood’s trademark wit, but there is more to it than that. Discuss the ways in which the author cleverly builds the sense of suspicion and fear that informs the way Agnes processes the events in her life at Ardua Hall."
The second prompt is:
"Agnes considers her admittance to Hildegard Library to be a 'golden key' that will reveal 'the riches that lay within.' But it is here that she learns the truth about the Concubine Cut into Twelve Pieces, as well as the truth about her half-sister. Is there any book that provided you with a similar pivotal and eye-opening experience?"
Prompt 4:
Welcome back to the Underground Bookshelf Book Club! During the month of April, we are reading The Testaments by Margaret Atwood, the sequel to The Handmaid's Tale. Today's prompt comes from Reading Group Guides. The prompt is as follows:
The first prompt is:
"When Aunt Lydia relays the Aesop’s Fables story of Fox and Cat, she reveals much about her survival skills. Which are you --- Fox or Cat?"
The second prompt is:
"Did the book inspire you to take action so that Gilead remains fiction? Did you perhaps become more active in local politics or make a charitable donation to an organization that supports women’s rights?"
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