The rest of the title is: Love, Lies, and the Unknown Life of Mata Hari. A really good and interesting read. I remember hearing about Mata Hari growing up--not sure if in history books/classes or in some pop culture way--famous dancer turned spy. This book really looks at her life in depth--from her early life, an early marriage and life in Indonesia area with a much older husband. Having a couple children and then the older boy dying in childhood. Their return to Holland and divorce. Her moving to Paris basically penniless and really no skills to earn a living--her young daughter staying with the ex-husband and the new wife. Her learning dance and then turning into an exotic type dance and her character as well. Really remarkable for her to get to that point. She became a star of Europe traveling around and performing and making large amounts of money that got spent just as quick. Meeting and being with several men that also supported her and again spending lots of money quick. After several years of this WWI happens and she gets caught up in what men/government/inspectors think of her as a spy. Because she is basically immoral in their eyes and goes to bed with several men from all different countries including Germany which France was at war with, they see her as a spy. This is where the book probably shines the most--the detail in the research and the way author can see the characters involved and try to get at what was really going on--makes for sad and very interesting reading. Good book, glad I finally took time to read it.
I have posted it on PBS & it has already been requested. I will be mailing it off later this week.
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