The myth of "Sisi" is hardly explainable in a strictly scientific way. Wilma Pfeiffer has also found a very personal approach to the celebrated Austrian empress: Years ago, an elderly lady in Vienna, who was the great-niece of Elisabeth's court hairdresser Fanny Angerer, shared many astonishing stories about the empress's private life. Since then, Sisi has not let go of our author. In a charming and entertaining manner, she now shares her knowledge in book form. Her main focus is on providing a credible portrayal of Elisabeth's transformation from a shy girl from the Bavarian province to a radiant empress: The young woman increasingly frees herself from the rigid etiquette of the Viennese court, emancipating herself from her role as a decorative attribute of the emperor and as a guarantor of the succession to the throne. Sisi's beauty is well-known, but much of her story remains less recognized.