I think that nearly everyone was introduced to Margaret Atwood the same way... high school lit class. Ever since I read The Handmaid's Tale as a wide eyed junior, Atwood has been a bit of an obsession. Hag-Seed lives up to the self created hype. Felix is a broken man, hiding out, literally, in a shack in the middle of nowhere. He finds distraction, and a measure of self worth, in teaching prisoners Shakespeare and pulling off a spectacular play each year within the confines of the correctional facility. How fortuitous that this very pastime turns into a path for revenge?
The Tempest is all about prisons... so Felix explains.  How many prisons are there in The Tempest? How many prisons are there in Hag-Seed?  The prisons of grief, helplessness, despondency, madness, revenge, even success. Atwood skillfully showed that what one person considers every day life, another would consider a trap.  All's well that ends well? I'm not so sure about that.  What I am sure about, is loving this book.

Hello, Aurora my old friend!  It's been years since I've heard from you, but is seemed like just yesterday after reading this book.  I'm thankful you had so many flashbacks to the past, to help me fill in the details of what had happened before.  You sure don't get a break, do you?  Always falling into mysteries, murders and intrigue...
This one really hit close to home, and right when your life was starting to come together!  New husband, baby on the way, settled and happy back at the library. Sounds like you need to make some new friends, though. I really enjoyed this blast from the past, I forgot how much I liked your story and the people who populate your town.  Will I be hearing more from you?  This was a whirlwind snippet, only a few weeks in your life, it'd be nice to know it the morning sickness ever wore off, if your half brother fully recovered, and what name you finally decide on for the baby!