Mata Hari's Last Dance

Moran's latest historical novel (after Rebel Queen) portrays the life of the enigmatic and infamous Mata Hari (1876–1917). The narrative follows Hari's rise to fame as a dancer and courtesan, the decline of her career, and her fall from grace as she is accused of espionage during World War I. Interspersed throughout are glimpses of the figure behind the façade—Margaretha Zelle MacLeod, a young Dutch woman escaping a bad marriage and a painful past by reinventing herself. Even amid the glamour and fame she can't quite overcome the abandonment and hurt caused by her father or the sorrow at her own separation from her daughter. Was Hari really a German spy or a tragic victim of circumstance and her own bad decisions? Hari is a mysterious character, but Moran manages to formulate a realistic heroine. At once worldly and naïve, this version of Hari evokes both sympathy and frustration. She is portrayed with depth, yet she also seems to lack intelligence and relies too much on men and her own charms to get by.