Human: When does the book, ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ by Adela Yates take place? Assistant: 
The book takes place in the near future, in the year 1985. The book is set in the United States, and the main character is a woman named Offred. Offred is a handmaid, and she is a woman who has been forced to become a handmaid for her husband, who is the commander of the Republic of Gilead.