Mata Hari and Her Sisters: Spy Novels by and About Women

Traditionally, most spy fiction has featured male protagonists, casting women in subordinate roles as sidekicks, victims, or love interests. Not surprisingly, espionage novels, even “historical” ones, reflect the times in which they are written as much if not more than the times in which they are set. This course examines spy novels written by women, exploring ways in which these works do and do not differ from established thriller stereotypes.

We will begin with one of the genre’s most enduring stereotypes, the femme fatale (background from Mata Hari’s Last Dance by Michelle Moran). Anticipated reading list: Message from Malaga (Helen MacInness), The Alice Network (Kate Quinn), The Spymistress (Jennifer Chiavereni), Red Joan (Jenny Rooney), and State of Terror (Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton).