Old Babes in the Wood gathers fifteen inventive short stories from Margaret Atwood, celebrated author of The Handmaid's Tale and The Testaments. Written with her trademark wit and clarity, these pieces move between the intimate, the uncanny, and the quietly devastating.
The title story follows two sisters facing memory, grief, and the passage of time during a seemingly idyllic summer evening. In “Impatient Griselda,” Atwood reimagines a classic folktale through themes of alienation and miscommunication, while “My Evil Mother” offers a darkly playful look at a mother–daughter bond complicated by claims of witchcraft.
At the centre of the collection are seven connected stories tracing a married couple across decades. Together they capture the subtle moments, decisions, and rituals that shape a lifetime of uncommon love—and the questions that remain afterward.
Blending realism with the fantastical, humour with heartbreak, Atwood reflects on aging, relationships, and what it means to live through turbulent times.
- Fifteen stories by an internationally acclaimed author
- Mix of stand-alone tales and linked narratives
- Themes of love, loss, memory, and the surreal in everyday life
