When a woman's ex-husband commits suicide, a series of coincidences leads her to believe that his death was a hoax, and that she is being stalked by a man whom no one can see.

A religion-based autocracy has taken over most of the United States, renaming the country Gilead. In this country women are second-class citizens. Anyone trying to escape is punished. One such person is June, who is captured while trying to escape with her husband and child and is sentenced to be a handmaid, bearing children for childless government officials. As a handmaid, June is renamed Offred. This is her story.