The only crime she committed was being a free woman.

Paris, San Lazare prison, 1917.

A woman's last wish is for her daughter to learn the truth. For her daughter to believe no one else except her mother.

So she takes paper and pencil to tell her about her adventurous, stormy life.

The woman is Mata Hari, the most charming, desirable woman of her time: a scandalous dancer who always manages to seduce the richest and most powerful men, becoming their companion, lover, and confidante, provoking the jealousy and envy of the women of Parisian aristocracy.

She is a woman with many names.

Her past is dark, her present always dangerous. She dedicated her life to freedom and faced the prejudices of society.

And now she faces the dishonorable accusation of espionage. But her only guilt is claiming her freedom.

"I am a woman who was born in the wrong era and nothing can fix that. I don't know if the future will remember me, but if it does, I would never want to be seen as a victim, but as someone who walked with courage and fearlessly paid the price for it."

Paulo Coelho returns with the captivating portrait of Mata Hari, an adventurous coming-of-age novel based on unpublished documents, which, as the narrative progresses, delivers an astonishingly modern message about women and men of today.