Anger and joy as Amazon sends Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments out early

Some Margaret Atwood fans who pre-ordered her follow-up to The Handmaid's Tale have received it a week early after a mix-up by Amazon.

Penguin Random House, the publisher of The Testaments, said "a very small number of copies" were sent in the US "due to a retailer error".

"I feel like I won the lottery!" said one customer. "Wow!! A week early?!" wrote another.

Penguin Random House would not confirm how many copies were posted out ahead of the official publication date, but The Guardian put the figure at 800. In a statement, it said: “In the US a very small number of copies of Margaret Atwood's The Testaments were distributed early due to a retailer error which has now been rectified.”

“We appreciate that readers have been waiting patiently, in some cases for more than 30 years, for the much-anticipated sequel to the bestselling The Handmaid's Tale. In order to ensure our readers around the world receive their copies on the same day, our global publication date remains Tuesday, 10th September."

The American Booksellers Association expressed its "strong disappointment regarding this flagrant violation of the agreed protocol in releasing this book to the public.”

Amazon did not respond to requests for comment. 

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