There was a side-issue re: Margaret Atwood, which did not concern the novel in question but whether or not she, along with the other citizens of Canada and Central America, could by some peculiar definition be rightly and sensibly called "American". (The answer being, ONLY according to a peculiar and idiosyncratic definition.)

(Btw, Margaret Atwood in her day was an "outspoken" Canadian nationalist, and no doubt would have been insistent that she is not American by any definition. Haven't heard much from her on such matters in the past twenty years or so.)