Historical fiction book · Open Library
Signed, Mata Hari
Unknown author · historical fiction
In the cold October of 1917 Margaretha Zelle, better known as Mata Hari, sits in a prison cell in Paris awaiting trial on charges of espionage. The penalty is death by firing squad. As she waits, burdened by a secret guilt, Mata Hari tells stories, Scheherazade-like, to buy back her life from her interrogators. From a bleak childhood in the Netherlands, through a loveless marriage to a Dutch naval officer, Margaretha is transported to the forbidden sensual pleasures of Indonesia . In the chill of her prison cell she spins tales of rosewater baths, native lovers, and Javanese jungles, evokin
About this historical novel
Signed, Mata Hari by Unknown author is historical fiction rooted in Global / multiple. In the cold October of 1917 Margaretha Zelle, better known as Mata Hari, sits in a prison cell in Paris awaiting trial on charges of espionage. The penalty is death by firing squad. As she waits, burdened by a secret guilt, Mata Hari tells stories, Scheherazade-like, to buy back her life from her interrogators. From a bleak childhood in the Netherlands, through a loveless marriage to a Dutch naval officer, Margaretha is transported to the forbidden sensual pleasures of Indonesia . In the chill of her prison cell she spins tales of rosewater baths, native lovers, and Javanese jungles, evokin
On HisFic we tag it under 1. Literary historical fiction so you can pair it with similar story types. Recurring themes include world war, 1914-1918, literature, secret service, fiction, and historical fiction.
Use HisFic’s free journey planner to stay in this era or subgenre, save titles to a want-to-read list in your browser, and open Amazon when you are ready to buy. HisFic is discovery-only—not a bookstore—so pages like this exist to help you choose the next historical novel with intent.
Plot summary
In the cold October of 1917 Margaretha Zelle, better known as Mata Hari, sits in a prison cell in Paris awaiting trial on charges of espionage. The penalty is death by firing squad. As she waits, burdened by a secret guilt, Mata Hari tells stories, Scheherazade-like, to buy back her life from her interrogators. From a bleak childhood in the Netherlands, through a loveless marriage to a Dutch naval officer, Margaretha is transported to the forbidden sensual pleasures of Indonesia . In the chill of her prison cell she spins tales of rosewater baths, native lovers, and Javanese jungles, evokin
Subgenres
Eras
- Not classified yet
More like this on HisFic
Curated titles that share era, story type, or themes.
- The Women · Kristin Hannah
A young American nurse serves in Vietnam and struggles to be seen when she comes home.
- The Book Thief · Markus Zusak
A girl steals books in Nazi Germany; Death narrates a story of words and survival.
- Homegoing · Yaa Gyasi
Linked stories follow two half-sisters’ lineages across centuries of African and American history.
- The Book Thief · Markus Zusak
Death narrates the story of a girl who steals books in Nazi Germany—and the family that hides a Jewish man.
- The Song of Achilles · Madeline Miller
Patroclus narrates his bond with Achilles against the backdrop of the Trojan War.
- Wolf Hall · Hilary Mantel
Thomas Cromwell rises through Tudor England’s deadly court, told in close, modern-feeling prose.
Regions & places
Global / multiple
Themes
- world war, 1914-1918
- literature
- secret service
- fiction
- historical fiction
- women spies
- new york times reviewed
- fiction, espionage
Tags
open-library