The seamstress Anna Z. wrote a compelling life description in 1916 at the care facility Rheinau. This provides insights into the restless life of a woman who tried to reconcile professional passion, independence, marriage, love, sexuality, and motherhood. The report also sheds light on the complex construct of "truth" in the life of a patient in an institution, an inmate of the "mad house." Anna Z. (1864-1938) was the eleventh of sixteen siblings. Her mother died when she was young, and from then on, her oldest sister Berta took care of the siblings. In school, Anna Z. stood out due to her wildness and was therefore placed in a reform school for four years. She completed an apprenticeship as a seamstress and married a wealthy farmer at a young age. In her new surroundings, she attracted attention because she often traveled alone with a horse and cart.