Margaret Atwood on How History Ensured Success of The Handmaid’s Tale

November 10, 2025

Margaret Atwood, the author of the highly successful novel and series The Handmaid’s Tale, shared her thoughts on what made her book so popular. The 85-year-old doesn’t believe that it has anything to do with her or the “excellence of the book,” but instead with something close to real life.

Margaret Atwood reflects on the success of The Handmaid’s Tale

The Handmaid’s Tale has been a landmark dystopian series that has earned Margaret Atwood tens of accolades. While the fans hail the series as one of the best in the genre for its story, characters, and grounded realism, Margaret Atwood herself believes otherwise.

“It’s not due to me or the excellence of the book,” the author told CBS’s 60 Minutes correspondent, Jon Wertheim. “It’s partly in the twists and turns of history.” With her statement, she referred to the protest for overturning Roe v. Wade.

According to the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, the Constitution of the United States preserved the right to abortion before the fetus reaches the fetal viability stage. However, in 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned this ruling (via NPR), sparking public backlash. During protests, the outfits described in Atwood’s novels were used as a symbol of resistance.

Atwood continued, “Had it been so that none of this ever got enacted, then it would probably be sitting on a shelf somewhere.” She added, “But it didn’t happen.”

Nonetheless, the book found massive success among readers and sold over 10 million copies. Additionally, it led to the creation of the double-digit Emmy-winning series, starring Elisabeth Moss in the lead role. After airing in April 2017, the series ran for six seasons. The series finale episode aired earlier this year on May 27, 2025.

The Handmaid’s Tale is set in a dystopian future where the United States is replaced by the Republic of Gilead. In this world, women are stripped of their rights to become Handmaids, assigned to elite men to bear children.

Originally reported by Harsh Panduranga on ComingSoon.