A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR FROM NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, THE CHIGACO TRIBUNE, TIME MAGAZINE, PEOPLE, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, GOODREADS, LITHUB, AND MORE

How does the greatest writer of our time tell her own story?

Raised by scientifically minded parents, Margaret Atwood spent most of each year in the wild forests of northern Quebec, where her entomologist father and independent, resourceful mother created an unfettered and nomadic childhood, sometimes isolated but also thrilling and beautiful.

From this unconventional start, Margaret unfolds the story of her life, linking key moments to the books that have shaped our literary landscape, from the cruel school year that would inspire Cat’s Eye to the unease of 1980s Berlin, where she began The Handmaid’s Tale. In pages alive with the natural world, reading and books, major political turning points, and her lifelong love for the charismatic writer Graeme Gibson, we meet poets, bears, Hollywood stars, and larger-than-life characters straight from the pages of an Atwood novel.

As she explores her past, Margaret reveals more and more about her writing, the connections between real life and art—and the workings of one of our very greatest imaginations.

A MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR FROM NEW YORK TIMES, WASHINGTON POST, THE CHIGACO TRIBUNE, TIME MAGAZINE, PEOPLE, NEW YORK MAGAZINE, GOODREADS, LITHUB, AND MORE

“The most spectacular, hilarious, and generous autobiography of the last quarter century—or ever.”
—Leigh Haber, Boston Globe

“Atwood's long-awaited memoir covers her arc to becoming one of the leading voices of modern literature.”
—New York Magazine

“Charming, interesting and witty . . . Packed with dishy tales . . . Scintillating portraits of major and minor characters are one of Atwood’s specialties.”
—Marion Winik, Minnesota Star Tribune

“Luminous prose, a palpable lust for life, and an invaluable glimpse into the mind of a literary giant make this a must-read.”
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Engaging, wise, and marvelously witty—illuminating both the craft of writing and the art of living.”
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Virtuoso, protean, forthright, and astute . . . Atwood is one of the world’s most significant writers and her capacious memoir deeply illuminates her life and work. . . . Encompassing, surprising, and entertaining . . . Electric with portraits of family, friends, beaux, and foes . . . A keystone source for biographers and scholars while delighting and enlightening readers curious about [her] life.”
—Donna Seaman, Booklist (starred review)