Mata Hari's Last Dance

June 15, 2016

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 facade--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 naive, 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. VERDICT Readers of historical fiction will note the author's signature attention to detail; however, the flawed Hari makes this engrossing reading. [See Prepub Alert, 2/1/16.]--Christina Thurairatnam, Holmes Cty. Dist. P.L., Millersburg, OH

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

November 1, 2016

Born in the Netherlands, Margaretha Zelle was abandoned by her father after the death of her mother and sent to a school where an unwelcome flirtation led her to answer an ad for a wife. Married at 18 to Dutch officer Rudolph McLeod, she discovers in Java that he is not what he seems, and she takes refuge in learning the art of Indonesian dancing. After the death of her son, she divorces her husband, only to have him kidnap her daughter. With no resources to fight him, she returns to Europe as Mata Hari. Teens may not be familiar with the name Mata Hari beyond a brief mention in history class, but she was a captivating woman who used the power of her beauty and body to insinuate herself into the finest European salons of her time. Because she was the mistress of military officers in many different countries, it is not a leap to suggest that she may have been in a position to pass along intelligence to the Germans during World War I, but this is more than a book about the exchange of wartime information. Moran creates a character who makes naive decisions with powerful men that lead her to suspicion and, ultimately, her demise. VERDICT In this latest in her series of strong women who succeed only to fall victim to that triumph, Moran invites teen readers to look behind the story at a legend: the enigmatic Mata Hari. Hand this one to lovers of historical fiction and to those who appreciate complex female protagonists.-Connie Williams, Petaluma High School, CA

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2016
As the enigmatic Mata Hari awaits her fate in a grim Parisian prison in 1917, she is visited by a reporter determined to peel away the opaque layers that have shrouded her in intrigue and mystery. Accused of espionage and treason, the notorious exotic dancer recalls her hardscrabble back story, including her interrupted childhood, her disastrous marriage to an abusive alcoholic, and her heart-wrenching abandonment of her young daughter. By interweaving the strands of Mata Hari's multiple reinventions into an evocative tapestry depicting the woman who captured the collective imagination of several nations, the author ensures that questions of her guilt or innocence ultimately take a back seat to her mesmerizing tale. Moran (The Rebel Queen, 2015) breathes new life into another atrophied legend of a remarkable woman who left an indelible mark upon her time and place in history.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)