Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead, once the United States. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. In this oppressive world, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only as long as they are viable for reproduction. Offred remembers the years before, when she lived with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that in gone now.
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