Spain launches TV series of Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale'

A set text for A-level English Literature and near the top of the BBC's famous 'Big Read' list of the UK's 200 favourite books, The Handmaid's Tale tells of a fundamentalist Christian totalitarian régime in the USA, known as 'Gilead', in modern times where women – unless they are among the extremely rich and powerful – have only two possible roles: clearing up radioactive waste on remote islands, where they eventually die from nuclear poisoning, or becoming a 'handmaid' like the anonymous narrator.

'Handmaids' are 'employed' by wealthy, infertile couples to become pregnant by the husbands and provide them with a child, before being moved on to the next household.

They wear restrictive uniforms which prevent them seeing anything other than what is directly in front of them, are only allowed to communicate in set, biblical scripts, and are not allowed a social or romantic life outside their isolated rooms.

Atwood's narrator discovers loopholes and a possible escape, but has to balance the risks with those of being taken away by The Eyes, a type of 'thought police', and exterminated.

She was captured as a handmaid, her husband imprisoned and her daughter given away to an infertile rich couple when the family tried to escape the régime by fleeing to Canada.

A dark subject matter, but a gripping read, the 1985 novel's adaptation for TV is set to be equally as suspense-filled.

Launching on April 26 in Spain, the main character – known as Offred (literally, 'Of Fred', being the man who 'owns' her) – is played by Elisabeth Moss (pictured), and other cast members include Joseph Fiennes, Samira Wiley, Max Minghella, Yvonne Strahovski, O T Fagbenle and Alexis Bledel.