Show notes
The Handmaid spends the hour picking at old wounds — her friendship with Moira, her guilt over Luke, and the day the government quietly stopped being a democracy. By the end of the chapter, the past and present collide in the worst possible way: a corner store, a declined card, and three words that change everything.
This episode includes AI-voiced content, including our trusty fact-checking robot, Robot.
Banned Camp is a comedy podcast where we read banned books chapter by chapter — we don't read ahead, so you're discovering the story with us.
Things To Listen For:
Dan and Jennifer imagining Moira as pure MacGyver energy — ready to take the bedroom fan apart and "start slicing people"
Jennifer's blunt read on Moira's sexuality ("She decided? Give me a break") and a real conversation about who books like this one are actually written to protect
Offred laying out, in her own words, exactly how Gilead seized power: the president shot, Congress machine-gunned, the blame pinned on "Islamic fanatics," and the Constitution suspended as a "temporary" measure
Jennifer's unscripted reveal that she already has a go bag and a German passport ready to go — tied back to her grandparents' stories of people disappearing in Nazi Germany
Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned?
This chapter pairs two things banners hate seeing together: a step-by-step account of how a democracy gets replaced by martial law, and an unflinching, funny conversation about Moira's sexuality and what "acceptable" relationships even means. That combination — political extremism plus open queerness — is exactly the kind of content that gets books like this one pulled from shelves.
If this is your first episode, you're fine starting here. Our fact-checking Robot catches you up fast, then we read the next chapter (spoilers).
Banworthy to Bingeworthy
Good News for Lefties — Beowulf Rochlen's good-news roundup.
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Disclaimer
Banned Camp features readings and discussions of banned books for the purpose of criticism, commentary, education, and entertainment, in accordance with fair use guidelines.
The material used from the book The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood is shared under these principles, with the intent of provoking thought and discussion about literature, censorship, and societal issues. The original work remains fully owned by its copyright holders, and we strongly encourage listeners to purchase a copy here to experience the book in its entirety.
https://bookshop.org/a/20953/9780385490818
This podcast is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to Margaret Atwood, her estate, or the publishers of The Handmaid's Tale. Any monetization of the podcast is separate from the copyrighted material discussed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was The Handmaid's Tale banned?
The Handmaid's Tale has been challenged or banned in American schools and libraries every single year since its publication in 1985. It was the most challenged book in the United States in 2023. It has been targeted for profanity, sexually explicit content, and content deemed "offensive to Christians." But the deeper reason is that Margaret Atwood showed what happens when a government uses religion, tradition, and "protecting families" as justification for stripping women of their rights, their names, and their autonomy. That's the part that actually scares book banners, because it looks a lot like Tuesday.
Is there a podcast that reads The Handmaid's Tale chapter by chapter?
That's us. Banned Camp reads a different banned book every season, one chapter at a time — neither host has read ahead, so you're discovering the story together in real time. Season 11 covers The Handmaid's Tale, and every episode includes the chapter reading, discussion, a fact-checking Robot, and a segment on why books get banned.
Do I need to start Banned Camp from the beginning?
No. Every episode opens with Robot's recap of the previous chapter, so you can jump in anywhere. Most listeners tell us they started mid-season and went back to the beginning after they were hooked.
How did Gilead take power in The Handmaid's Tale?
In Chapter 28, Offred finally lays it out: the president was assassinated, Congress was machine-gunned, and the army declared a state of emergency, blaming Islamic fanatics. The Constitution was suspended as a "temporary" measure. Banned Camp breaks down how fast — and how quietly — an entire government can disappear in Margaret Atwood's telling.
Why does Offred's compucard get declined in The Handmaid's Tale?
Near the end of Chapter 28, Offred discovers her Compubank card no longer works — the first sign that the government has frozen every account belonging to a woman. Banned Camp's hosts read this as the exact moment the book's slow-building dread becomes an immediate, personal crisis, and talk through why it still feels uncomfortably familiar.
Topics Covered:
The Handmaid's Tale, Margaret Atwood, Chapter 28, Offred, Moira, Luke, Ofglen, Robot, Beowulf Rochlen, government coup, censorship, women's rights, LGBTQ+ representation, economic control, banned books, banned books podcast, book banning, censorship, literary analysis, comedy podcast