The Red Dancer by Richard Skinner
The story of Mata Hari has fascinated people for years. Her beauty, fame, and name have become legend. In The Red Dancer, Richard Skinner removes the veil, revealing the woman behind the myth. Before she was Mata Hari, she was Margaretha MacLeod. She was a mother and a wife. Only out of sheer necessity and desperation did she find her way to the stage.
The Red Dancer explores the evolution of one of the most renowned exotic dancers in the world. It is told from many points of view, giving the reader a real insight into the life of the most desired woman in Europe.
Richard Skinner paints a stunning picture of Mata Hari, combining fact with fiction. That is why I read the entire book in one whole day. And that is how you know you have found a gem of a character. Someone who leaves an impression. A complex and enthralling woman, who changed the world with her art. Despite the obstacles, Mata Hari defied conventions and reinvented herself during the First World War. Not only was she a dancer and a lover, she was also a spy.
It is no wonder Faber has reissued the stunning new edition of The Red Dancer. Richard Skinner is a talented writer as well as the Director of the Fiction programme at the Faber Academy. I was lucky to have been one of his students and I can honestly say, the man knows a good story.