I have read this before, but I could remember almost nothing about it. After having finished it again I can see why. It’s fine, but it feels like it doesn’t have a lot to say after the excellent original book.
There are three characters, Aunt Lydia from the original book, a girl living in Canada with adopted parents who doesn’t realise she was originally from Gilead and another girl living in Gilead who was kidnapped as an infant and thinks she is the daughter of a Commander. The three plot lines come together over the course of the book through Aunt Lydia’s scheming against the regime she is a part of.
I thought it started off well, each characters introduction and situation was vividly described and intriguing. As the plot went on though it became quite unbelievable and over the top. The characters started acting in very irrational ways that just seemed to only happen because it suited the plot. I thought Aunt Lydia is less interesting as someone who’s been scheming the whole time to bring everything down rather than a willing participant. Her plans also seemed very poorly thought through, and I think she would have been discovered years ago if that was how she was acting.
One of the main plot points was for baby Nicole (the girl in Canada) to be brought back into Gilead in secrecy, Aunt Lydia said that it absolutely must be her. She then had a microdot put in her arm, and was smuggled out again. I don’t think it ever explained why it couldn’t have been anyone else.