the last book I ever read (Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, excerpt five)

from The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood:

Rita is there, sitting at the table, peeling and slicing carrots. Old carrots they are, thick ones, overwintered, bearded from their time in storage. The new carrots, tender and pale, won’t be ready for weeks. The knife she uses is sharp and bright, and tempting. I would like to have a knife like that.