Mata Hari's Last Dance: A Novel

Written by Michelle Moran

Narrated by Zara Ramm

Paris, 1917. The notorious dancer Mata Hari sits in a cold cell awaiting freedom...or death. Alone and despondent, Mata Hari is as confused as the rest of the world about the charges she's been arrested on: treason leading to the deaths of thousands of French soldiers. As Mata Hari waits for her fate to be decided, she relays the story of her life to a reporter who is allowed to visit her in prison. From Indian temples and Parisian theatres to German barracks in war-torn Europe, international bestselling author Michelle Moran who "expertly balances fact and fiction" (Associated Press) brings to vibrant life the famed world of Mata Hari: dancer, courtesan, and possibly, spy.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dreamscape Media Audio
• Release date: Jul 19, 2016
• ISBN: 9781520047348

Michelle Moran

Michelle Moran is the internationally bestselling author of seven historical novels, including Rebel Queen, which was inspired by her travels throughout India. Her books have have been translated into more than twenty languages. A frequent traveler, Michelle currently resides with her husband and two children in the US. Visit her online at MichelleMoran.com.

Reviews for Mata Hari's Last Dance

[librarycin · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

3.5 starsMata Hari was a well-known dancer/stripper (very high class, I suppose – she danced naked, anyway) in Europe in the early 20th century. She slept with men who could pay her way in life. She was later arrested, imprisoned, and put to death in France – the country she called home – via firing squad for being a spy for the Germans. This is Moran’s historical version of her life – at least from the time she started dancing, with flashbacks to the rest of her life. I knew nothing of Mata Hari except for her name – not a thing. I read the book because I like the author, but this one wasn’t nearly as good as her others, I didn’t think. At least now I have an idea of who she was, though I can’t say I particularly liked her. I wonder if I would have been more sympathetic toward her if her life had been told chronologically, rather than in flashbacks? Either way, I’m rating the book good, although I feel a bit like that might be generous.

[wagner5sarah35 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fun read about a notorious dancer executed for espionage during the First World War. Mata Hari's career as a dancer and courtesan in the early 20th century is chronicled in this novel, as is her prevailing desire to reunite with her daughter. She is ultimately a sympathetic figure, but an unwise one who dabbled in espionage that was beyond her depth and lost her life because of it. A good read from an author I follow closely - and I can't wait for more!

[amandacb_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received an e-book from Netgalley.Initially, I was very excited for this book--a gorgeous "cabaret" dancer whose is a spy! So cool! But alas, the execution was poor. We are introduced to "Mata Hari" as a very progressive woman, dancing in the nude and taking on multiple lovers. She is shameless in her quest to find a man to support her financially. However, it is revealed that Mata is a very insecure and unhappy woman.The "good" stuff, the spying, doesn't even get mentioned unless the book is almost done. The ending felt very rushed.

[vampiregirl76 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Going into this I had heard of Mata Hari, but didn't know much except that she was a dancer and was executed for being a spy. Ms. Moran spins a vibrant tale that spans the globe and the years of 1904-1917. It was intriguing to learn more about Mata Hari the woman. Mata Hari's Last Dance is a great read. It paints exciting picture of love, dancing and loneliness and heartbreak.

[knittingmomof3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While I do not believe Mata Hari's Last Dance is Michelle Moran's best work of historical fiction, it is not one to be dismissed. Due to Moran's previous works, I may have gone into this book with really high expectations. I found the writing style to be slightly disappointing in relations to her other works, yet I still would recommend Mata Hari's Last Dance.

[bookscookslooks · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What do you think when you hear Mata Hari?I chose to read this book for just that reason – I don’t know that much about the woman behind the myth. I hear the name and I think spy. I’m sure the same happens for many of you. This novel starts with Mata Hari awaiting her fate but that fate is pretty much a foregone conclusion because the powers that be need someone blame the war situation on and a notorious woman of questionable morals proves to be a perfect option.Then her story is told – well she tells her story but is it the truth or is it what she wants it to be? She was born in the Netherlands into a marriage that was not good. Margaretha Zelle leaves her childhood home and goes to live with her godfather but that doesn’t bring her what she is looking for. Next she marries – from an ad in the paper – and this gives her an upgrade in social status but also a husband that beats her. She leaves the marriage and soon evolves into the femme fatale known as Mata Hari.I found the book to be very interesting. It’s not a big book but Ms. Moran gives a thoroughly researched view of her subject. As with any fictional depiction there is license taken but the tale hews to the facts. Was she a spy? You’ll have to read the book to find out – actually I’m not sure that it’s a question that was truly ever effectively answered. I found this bit of information somehow very sad; Mata Hari couldn’t even read most of the evidence against her because it was classified. How does one even defend against that? She was certainly a woman who went against the mores of her time. I’m not sure I would have liked her at all but I am not sure she deserved her fate.

[olivermagnus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Michelle Moran's latest historical novel gives us the story of exotic dancer Mata Hari. Most people have heard of the famous femme fatale and WWI spy, but other than her public reputation, most of her life was a mystery. As she narrates her own story we discover a woman who, after escaping from a brutal husband, reinvents herself through exotic dance. After moving to France in 1904, Margaretha Zelle becomes “the Star of the East,” Mata Hari, and quickly rises to stardom. The novel follows Mata Hari's life as she travels the world. She finds much success along the way as a dancer and performer but can never seem to find true happiness. She becomes intimate with many men as she constantly tries to reinvent herself from city to city. Was Mata Hari a sex symbol, a courtesan, a spy, a pawn or just a woman seeking happiness? Michelle Moran always does a wonderful job of weaving fact and fiction together. From the beginning, readers know she is awaiting trial for espionage, and the story unfolds as an exploration of her guilt or innocence. The narrative, filled with flashbacks, can become confusing because much of her trial was classified at the time. I did find myself sympathetic to the woman behind the legend. This fast paced novel might not give readers an in-depth portrait of Mata Hari, but they will still be fascinated by the woman and the era.

[samsattler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Even though she was executed by firing squad by the French military almost exactly one hundred years ago, the name Mata Hari still carries a certain mystique among amateur historians and others interest in the period. The big question, one that lends itself to all kinds of conspiracy theories, is whether or not Mata Hari was actually spying or only pretending to spy when she was arrested by French authorities. And if she was really spying, was she spying on France or on Germany? Or was she simply a beautiful woman who enjoyed making her living (a very fine one, at that) in the beds of prominent men all across Western Europe – especially the military officers she loved best? Michelle Moran’s new novel, Mata Hari’s Last Dance, recounts the story of this Dutch woman who managed to overcome her difficult childhood and reinvent herself as one of the most famous exotic dancers the world has ever known. Margaretha Zelle was born in the Netherlands on August 7, 1876, and she died in Paris on October 15, 1917 at age forty-one. After her parents divorced (and the death of her mother), “Margreet” was abandoned by her father and forced to live with her amorous godfather and his wife. At eighteen, Margreet was so desperate to change her life that she answered a newspaper ad placed by a Dutch army captain who was seeking a wife. For Margreet, the match was a dream come true because it allowed her to move into the upper class and live the kind of life she had only seen from afar. But soon enough, her husband revealed himself for the abusive alcoholic that he was and the marriage fell apart.Michelle Moran creates a believable young Margreet in Mata Hari’s Last Dance, but the novel moves into a different gear after Margreet flees her husband and becomes the fictional character she created for herself: an exotic Indonesian dancer she called Mata Hari. Astounded by the amount of money she could demand for a single performance in the nude, Mata Hari burned through several fortunes before the beginning of World War 1. But life got complicated for her during the war when she tried to raise enough money to gain custody of the daughter she had been forced to abandon in the Netherlands at the time she left her husband. Unable any longer to make her living by performing in the most important cities in Western Europe, Mata Hari turned to her other skill: bedding the wealthiest and most powerful men on the continent, a choice that would lead directly to her execution by firing squad shortly before the war ended. Mata Hari’s “last dance” proved to be a fatal one.Bottom Line: Michelle Moran’s Mata Hari’s Last Dance is a well-researched historical novel that leaves it up to the reader to decide on the guilt or innocence of its main character. Did the French government exploit her for political purposes? Was her conviction based upon false documents created by the German officer who realized she was spying on Germany, and not for Germany, as she had promised to do? You decide.

[brokenteepee · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What do you think when you hear Mata Hari?I chose to read this book for just that reason – I don’t know that much about the woman behind the myth. I hear the name and I think spy. I’m sure the same happens for many of you. This novel starts with Mata Hari awaiting her fate but that fate is pretty much a foregone conclusion because the powers that be need someone blame the war situation on and a notorious woman of questionable morals proves to be a perfect option.Then her story is told – well she tells her story but is it the truth or is it what she wants it to be? She was born in the Netherlands into a marriage that was not good. Margaretha Zelle leaves her childhood home and goes to live with her godfather but that doesn’t bring her what she is looking for. Next she marries – from an ad in the paper – and this gives her an upgrade in social status but also a husband that beats her. She leaves the marriage and soon evolves into the femme fatale known as Mata Hari.I found the book to be very interesting. It’s not a big book but Ms. Moran gives a thoroughly researched view of her subject. As with any fictional depiction there is license taken but the tale hews to the facts. Was she a spy? You’ll have to read the book to find out – actually I’m not sure that it’s a question that was truly ever effectively answered. I found this bit of information somehow very sad; Mata Hari couldn’t even read most of the evidence against her because it was classified. How does one even defend against that? She was certainly a woman who went against the mores of her time. I’m not sure I would have liked her at all but I am not sure she deserved her fate.

[viking2917_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

James Bond. Kim Philby. George Smiley. In the popular imagination, when one thinks of spies, one thinks of Bond, or more recently, perhaps Claire Danes of Homeland. But almost no spy looms larger in popular culture than Mata Hari, the prototype for the femme fatale. Mati Hari, born “Margaretha Geertruida “Margreet” MacLeod”, was an exotic dancer and courtesan, eventually tried, convicted and executed by France for spying for the Germans during World War I.But what if Mata Hari wasn’t really a spy? Or a least not for Germany, or at worst was the victim of a few bad decisions? Michelle Moran’s new novel, Mata Hari’s Last Dance, explores that possibility. Historians seem divided on whether she truly was a German spy. The history of her conviction, and the evidence against her, were always either tenuous or allegedly hidden because the evidence was secret.Moran’s portrayal of Mata Hari is well-rendered and complex. M’greet, as she is called when not by her stage name, comes off by turns as ambitious, juvenile, erotic, maternal, manipulative, educated (quoting Petrarch’s Lives), and an astounding clothes horse — a new dress every day! She is absolutely comfortable using her sexuality to get what she wants, and she has a thing for men in uniform (which will lead to her downfall). Moran captures the atmosphere of Paris, the unique nature of Mata Hari’s dances — recognizing both their evocative cultural allusions as well as the obvious prurience of the audiences who just want to see her with her clothes off.While popular culture places Mata Hari as spy, in this telling of her story she most reminds me of self-made media celebrities like Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian, comfortable with their sexuality and able to manipulate the media to a frenzy.I also very much enjoyed Edouard Clunet, Mata Hari’s long-suffering booking agent, who helped create her persona and early success. The Edouard of the book seems an amalgam of the historical Edouard, who defended her at her trial, and Gabriel Astruc, her booking agent. The interplay between the Edouard and Mata Hari carried the book forward strongly, and the merger of Edouard and Gabriel into one character definitely serves the larger story line.As with any historical novel, there is some play with the precise historical details, and in the case of Mata Hari much is still not known or debated. But Moran’s portrayal of her character and motivations is utterly convincing. Historical fiction is an accessible way to learn history, and if you are at all intrigued by one of history’s most famous and scandalous women, you will enjoy Mata Hari’s Last Dance.