Listen to a sample
The Testaments
- Author
- Margaret Atwood
- Publisher
- Random House
- Publish Date
- 10 September 2019
- Run Time
- 13 hours 18 minutes
- Format
- Audiobook
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Dystopian and utopian fiction, Science fiction: near future, Narrative theme: politics / economics, Feminism and feminist theory
- Rating
- 4.7 (3 reviews)
Not available in your country
We don't have the rights to sell this audiobook where you are. If it's already in your library you can still listen to it in My Books.
What to expect
*NOW A MAJOR DISNEY+ AND HULU ORIGINAL SERIES*
Winner of the Booker Prize 2019.
The British Book Awards Audiobook of the Year 2020
The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is read by Ann Dowd, Bryce Dallas Howard and Mae Whitman with Derek Jacobi, Tantoo Cardinal and Margaret Atwood.
Margaret Atwood's dystopian masterpiece, The Handmaid's Tale, is a modern classic. Now she brings the iconic story to a dramatic conclusion in this riveting sequel.
More than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results.
Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third voice: a woman who wields power through the ruthless accumulation and deployment of secrets.
As Atwood unfolds The Testaments, she opens up the innermost workings of Gilead as each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she will go for what she believes.
'Dear Readers: 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.' Margaret Atwood
'The literary event of the year.' Guardian
'A savage and beautiful novel, and it speaks to us today, all around the world, with particular conviction and power... The bar is set particularly high for Atwood and she soars over it' Peter Florence, Booker Prize Chair of Judges, Guardian
© Margaret Atwood 2019 (P) Penguin Audio 2019
Critics Review
-
Thrilling and blistering
Daily Telegraph
-
An incredible follow-up
the Sun, *Pick of the Week*
-
Gripping, pacy and beautifully written
Guardian
-
Finding hope in a hopeless place, this is everything The Handmaid’s Tale fans wanted and more. Prepare to hold your breath throughout, and to cry real tears at the end. My book of the year
Stylist
See more reviews See fewer reviews
-
The Testaments is Atwood at her best, in its mixture of generosity, insight and control. The prose is adroit, direct, beautifully turned. All over the reading world, the history books are being opened to the next blank page and Atwood’s name is written at the top of it. To read this book is to feel the world turning
Guardian
-
I gobbled it down... Atwood has an incredible intellectual nimbleness that challenges us constantly and poses the question that lies like a pearl inside the shell of this frighteningly readable novel, "Before you sit in judgement, how would you behave in Gilead?"
Sunday Telegraph
-
No one needs another recommendation for The Testaments and still I have to say how thrilling it is when a book manages to exceed all expectations. How did she manage to make darkness feel so effortless? How did she think to inject humour where no humour should exist? Because she’s Margaret Atwood, and she can do anything
Ann Patchett
-
A cracker: urgent, moving and as tense as any thriller... there's a darkly rebellious humour, ingenious wordplay and, of course, chillingly timely warnings. Atwood is long overdue a Nobel
Mail on Sunday
-
At its heart, this gripping novel is a rallying call for action... In Atwood's world, resistance is never futile
Daily Express
-
The must-read novel of the year -- a perfect gift for bookworms and fans of the TV series
Sunday Telegraph
User Reviews
Book 4.7
Narration 5.0
-
5.0 5.0
Loved this sequel to the Handmaids Tale. Ready for the TV adaptation now. Also love how it's narrated by Aunt Lydia herself!
Blackeyeslikeadoll 2025-10-29 -
4.0 5.0
An interesting sequel to The Handmaid's Tale. The narration is brilliant.
megchaplin 2022-05-29
Details
- Author
- Margaret Atwood
- Narrator
- Bryce Dallas Howard, Ann Dowd, Mae Whitman
- Duration
- 13 hours 18 minutes
- Release Date
- 10 September 2019
- ISBN
- 9781473570528
- Format
- Audiobook
- Publisher
- Random House
- Genre
- Modern and contemporary fiction: literary and general, Dystopian and utopian fiction, Science fiction: near future, Narrative theme: politics / economics, Feminism and feminist theory
- Rating
- 4.7(3 reviews)
- Narration
- 5.0(3 reviews)
Synopsis
*NOW A MAJOR DISNEY+ AND HULU ORIGINAL SERIES*Winner of the Booker Prize 2019.The British Book Awards Audiobook of the Year 2020The Testaments by Margaret Atwood is read by Ann Dowd, Bryce Dallas Howard and Mae Whitman with Derek Jacobi, Tantoo Cardinal and Margaret Atwood.Margaret Atwood's dystopian masterpiece, The Handmaid's Tale, is a modern classic. Now she brings the iconic story to a dramatic conclusion in this riveting sequel.More than fifteen years after the events of The Handmaid's Tale, the theocratic regime of the Republic of Gilead maintains its grip on power, but there are signs it is beginning to rot from within. At this crucial moment, the lives of three radically different women converge, with potentially explosive results.Two have grown up as part of the first generation to come of age in the new order. The testimonies of these two young women are joined by a third voice: a woman who wields power through the ruthless accumulation and deployment of secrets.As Atwood unfolds The Testaments, she opens up the innermost workings of Gilead as each woman is forced to come to terms with who she is, and how far she will go for what she believes.'Dear Readers: 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.' Margaret Atwood'The literary event of the year.' Guardian'A savage and beautiful novel, and it speaks to us today, all around the world, with particular conviction and power... The bar is set particularly high for Atwood and she soars over it' Peter Florence, Booker Prize Chair of Judges, Guardian© Margaret Atwood 2019 (P) Penguin Audio 2019
About xigxag
xigxag is an independent, UK-based audiobook platform and the UK's only B Corp certified audiobook company. We offer nearly 150,000 audiobooks, all with professional human narration. No AI-generated voices. xigxag is rated an Ethical Consumer Best Buy for audiobooks and a top-rated ethical bookshop.
There is no subscription. You buy the audiobooks you want, you own them permanently, and prices start at $13.95. The more you listen over the year, the less you pay per book, and there is always a selection in Listen for Less from $7.95. You can also send audiobooks as gifts using our audiobook gift cards or in-app gifting.
Every audiobook on xigxag has honest reviews covering both the book and the narration, and our community features make it easy to share what you are listening to, discover what others recommend, and find your next listen.
Download or stream on iOS, Android, or in your browser. Browse the full catalogue at xigxag.co.uk.