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Toronto Toddler In 'The Handmaid's Tale' Halloween Costume Meets Margaret Atwood

Madeleine Kassam, 18 months, just won Halloween.
Margaret Atwood with Madeleine Kassam.
Instagram/Marissa Kassam
Margaret Atwood with Madeleine Kassam.

Every once in a while, the stars align perfectly and give us exactly what we need to get through a Monday.

And today, we can thank Toronto mom Marissa Kassam's photos of her toddler dressed up as a wee handmaid while meeting Margaret Atwood for that moment of zen.

Praise be.

"She was so nice, so welcoming," Kassam, 33, told HuffPost Canada about her encounter with Atwood, who lives in her neighbourhood.

"She was excited to see the baby, and was friendly with the baby. She didn't really comment on the costume itself," Kassam said in a phone interview.

The Handmaid's Tale, a famous 1985 dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood, was adapted into a chilling TV series by Hulu. Women no longer have rights in this alternate version of the United States, now known as Gilead. "Handmaids" are a class of women who are forced to have children for powerful men. They typically wear modest red cloaks and white bonnets.

The TV series has won critical acclaim at the Golden Globes and the Emmys.

WATCH: "The Handmaid's Tale" renewed for third season. Story continues below video.

Kassam's daughter, Madeleine, a.k.a. the mini handmaid, is 18 months old. Madeleine's grandmother made the costume, Kassam said. The bonnet is hand-sewed, she bought the coat, and Madeleine's baby doll is a friend from her crib, Kassam said. Keeping the bonnet on Madeleine was a challenge, the mom admitted.

"We're fans of the Handmaid's Tale, and we admire Margaret," Kassam said of why they chose this costume.

"She's a Canadian icon, and we're so proud that she lives in our neighbourhood, and we all grew up reading the books, and seeing the show have so much success was very exciting."

Madeleine Kassam, 18 months, in a costume made by her grandmother.
Marissa Kassam
Madeleine Kassam, 18 months, in a costume made by her grandmother.

After taking a photo with Atwood in her Toronto neighbourhood, Kassam posted the pics to her Instagram account "munching_maddie" on Sunday.

"She wins halloween," one person commented.

"How is she even real?" another person wrote.

"I just can't. This is the BEST," wrote one person who feels the same way as all of us.

This wasn't Madeleine's first run-in with a Canadian celebrity. The toddler has also previously met actors Ellen Page and Kiefer Sutherland. Both were random encounters, Kassam said.

Blessed be the fruit.

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