Her only crime was that she was a free woman.

Paris, Saint-Lazare prison, 1917.

The last wish of a woman is for her daughter to learn the truth. For her daughter to believe no one else but her mother.

So, she takes paper and pencil to tell her about her adventurous, tumultuous 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 disgraceful charge of espionage. Her only guilt, however, is that she claimed her freedom.

"I am a woman 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 considered a victim, but someone who walked with courage and paid the price for it fearlessly."

Paulo Coelho returns with the fascinating portrait of Mata Hari, an adventurous coming-of-age novel, the result of research based on unpublished documents, which, as the narrative progresses, delivers a surprisingly contemporary message for the women and men of today.