But she fails to recognize that her own power is easily demonized and that her very reputation as a sensual woman can be used to denigrate her character. She references her influential friends throughout her letter, listing men who could now use their position to secure her freedom. Neither believe their letters will ever be read by their intended recipient, a twist that adds an air of desperation to Mata Hari’s words and a desire for absolution to the lawyer’s.Ĭoelho’s prose brings Mata Hari to life as a deeply flawed woman who views her sexuality as a means to gain power and favor.
Twelve years later, she was executed by firing squad as a German spy.Ĭoelho lays out these facts via two letters: Mata Hari’s letter to her lawyer, recounting her life story and assuring him that she will soon be free and her lawyer’s letter, written with the knowledge that Mata Hari will be executed the following morning. This enabled Zelle to move to Paris in 1903, where she performed burlesque-style exotic dances under the name Mata Hari. But MacLeod proved an abusive and demanding man, and following the death of their second child, they returned to Amsterdam and divorced.
They married soon after, and she traveled with him to Indonesia where she began studying local dances. But Zelle was eager for adventure, and at the age of 18 she responded to a personal ad listed by Rudolf MacLeod, an officer stationed in Indonesia.
Mata Hari was born Margaretha Zelle in 1876 in Holland, where she grew up and studied to be a kindergarten teacher. But in Paulo Coelho’s latest novel, The Spy, the author highlights Mata Hari’s humanity to reveal a flawed woman whose desire for freedom led to her execution. The Dutch-born exotic dancer, who rose to fame during Paris’ Belle Époque of the early 20th century, crafted a glamorous and near-mythic identity for herself. In the near century since her death, Mata Hari has become more of a legend than a historical figure.
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