Mata Hari's Last Dance
Michelle Moran, 2016
Simon & Schuster
288 pp.
ISBN-13: 9781476716381
Summary
From the international bestselling author of Nefertiti comes a captivating novel about the infamous Mata Hari, exotic dancer, adored courtesan, and, possibly, relentless spy.
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. Beginning with her carefree childhood, Mata Hari recounts her father’s cruel abandonment of her family as well her calamitous marriage to a military officer.
Taken to the island of Java, Mata Hari refuses to be ruled by her abusive husband and instead learns to dance, paving the way to her stardom as Europe’s most infamous dancer.
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. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
• Birth—August 11, 1980
• Where—San Fernando Valley of California, USA
• Education—B.A., Pomona College; M.A., Claremont Graduate University
• Currently—lives in southern California
Michelle Moran, an American novelist, was born in California's San Fernando Valley. She took an interest in writing from an early age, purchasing Writer's Market and submitting her stories and novellas to publishers from the time she was twelve. She majored in literature at Pomona College. Following a summer in Israel where she worked as a volunteer archaeologist, she earned an MA from the Claremont Graduate University.
Her experiences at archaeological sites were what inspired her to write historical fiction. A public high school teacher for six years, Moran is currently a full-time writer living in California
Novels
Moran's novels have been published in both the UK and the US, and have been translated and sold in more than 20 countries, including France, Bulgaria, Portugal, Brazil, Greece, Poland, Russia, China, and Taiwan.
2016 - Mata Hari's Last Dance
2015 - Rebel Queen
2012 - The Second Empress
2011 - Madame Tussaud
2009 - Cleopatra's Daughter
2008 - The Heretic Queen
2007 - Nefertiti
(Author bio adapted from Wikipedia. Retrieved 7/18/2016.)
Visit the author's website.
Follow Michelle's on History Buff.
Book Reviews
Hari's rise to fame as a dancer and courtesan.... 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. —Christina Thurairatnam, Holmes Cty. Dist. P.L., Millersburg, OH
Library Journal
[A]n evocative tapestry depicting the woman who captured the collective imagination of several nations.... [Q]uestions of her guilt or innocence ultimately take a back seat to her mesmerizing tale. Moran breathes new life into another atrophied legend of a remarkable woman.
Booklist
Discussion Questions
1. Mata Hari’s Last Dance opens with a newspaper article detailing Mata Hari’s death by French firing squad—an article that claims she was not only guilty but "one of the most dangerous of the Kaiser’s agents in France and England" (page 2). Discuss how this article compares to the story that the character Mata Hari tells us. Is there any overlap? In general, why do you think the author chose to use so many newspaper articles throughout the novel? Do the articles give us a different perspective? How so?
2. Mata Hari describes her small, run-down apartment as a place where "the carpets stink of urine and mold" and the landlord is "a man who beats his wife" (page 18). Would you describe Mata Hari as a strong female character? Is she a feminist? Do you attribute her ability to lift herself out of poverty as an indication of her strength?
3. Discuss the relationship between Edouard Clunet and Mata Hari. Would you call their relationship odd? Unrequited? Problematic? Do you think the two are truly in love with each other? Why or why not?
4. The snake handler tells Mata Hari not to be afraid of the snake, but to "treat her well...and she will never harm you" (page 48). Is the snake a symbol of the main character? Both Mata Hari and the snake are exotic, dangerous, and arguably misunderstood. In the end, do you believe Mata Hari is as harmless as the snake? Why or why not?
5. What do you think is Mata Hari’s goal? Does she want to simply be famous, or is it something more? Why do you think she seeks out the attention of Bowtie and the media?
6. The famous fashion designer tells Mata, "women like us prefer to forget we had a past. Too painful. We’d rather create" (page 64). Discuss Mata Hari’s creation. What kind of creation does she make when she dances? What kind of life does her art create? What kind of image? In the process of creation, does she also do as the epigraph to the novel suggests: "This is the dance I dance tonight. The dance of destruction as it leads to creation" (page vii)?
7. Revisit the scene in which Mata Hari reveals the truth about her husband, daughter, and her deceased son (page 93). Is this the first glance we get into the "real" Mata Hari? Did you believe she was removing the mask of her dancer persona in this scene? Why or why not?
8. Bowtie tells Mata Hari "you’re good for my career" (page 121). Discuss the ways in which the characters in the novel use one another. Are any of their relationships sincere, or are they all born from opportunity? Consider Bowtie, Mata Hari, Edouard, Mata Hari’s father, and Rudolph MacLeod in your response.
9. What is the symbolism of Mata Hari’s characterization of herself as "an orchid amongst buttercups" (page 129)? Do you think she values herself for her distinct appearance, her distinct way of being in the world, or both?
10. Do you think death acts as a catalyst for change in the novel? How might the deaths of Mata Hari’s mother and son cause Mata Hari to transform herself into someone new?
11. Do you forgive Mata Hari for her decision to leave her daughter Non? Do you think she tried everything in her power to get Non back? Is Mata Hari any different from her own father in the end? Why or why not?
12. How does the tension between the real and the fictional serve as a theme for the novel? You may wish to consider Mata Hari’s family, her job, and her accusation as a spy in your response. Do you agree that Mata Hari’s Last Dance presents the point of view that perhaps the "truth" is a composite of fact and fiction, as exemplified in the fact that Mata Hari is not from India but did live in Java?
13. What is Mata Hari’s "last dance"? Do you agree with her that she "danced [her]....own destruction" (page 246)? In some ways, does Mata Hari’s death also create something new? Consider the role of women during her lifetime in your response. Does Mata Hari leave anything but tragedy as a legacy for her daughter?
(Questions issued by the publisher.)