Fifteen years after the rebellion, the state of Gilead, which occupies the former territory of the United States, has become even more closed off, and its laws have become even more strict. Agnes Mackenzie, a student at Aunt Lydia's elite preparatory school for the daughters of high-ranking military and government officials, is tasked with helping a new student, Daisy, who has arrived from Canada, adjust to life in Gilead. As the two girls form a friendship that changes their lives, Agnes's perspective from the outside helps her to understand the harshness and injustice of the society she inhabits.