Rene Steinke’s novel “Holy Skirts” (William Morrow, 368 pages, $24.95) – a fictional take on the life of Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven – mostly takes place before World War I. The action travels from Germany to New York, and the reader is swept along with Elsa’s unruly behavior and dreams of being an actress, then later a poet.

In real life, Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven was a Dada grand dame. She cruised around Greenwich Village wearing bizarre getups, like a bra made of tomato cans or a dress with a flashing taillight attached to it. She posed for Man Ray and Marcel Duchamp.

What Ms. Steinke accomplished in this book is something similar to the ancient Greeks’ accomplishment with the constellations: she’s created a full, engaging story by connecting relatively few points of reference. She took some liberties with Elsa’s story, but for the most part stayed true to what is known and then extrapolated.

As she writes in the author’s note: “The character of the Baroness and most events in the novel are based on original sources, but because of wide gaps in what is known of the Baroness’s life and the necessities of the narrative, certain events and facts have been changed.”

What makes “Holy Skirts” worth reading is the fictional portrait of her early life and her inner motivations. We’re introduced to her indulgent mother and her strict, loveless father. She escapes to Berlin, where she finds work in the Wintergarten cabaret, and has a few misadventures. She runs through three husbands, one of whom brings her to New York, only to find that he can’t take it and returns to Germany. (He also happens to steal her poems and submit them under his own name.)

Left alone in New York, she flounders at first, but gradually finds a place among creative types and flourishes – or at least finds receptive audiences for her near madness. She has an urge to live in a world of art, and there’s an endearing exchange that takes place after she comes to Manhattan and finds herself abandoned by her husband.

She meets a man in the lobby of a hotel, who tells her that he likes to meet his business partners in the swanky lounge.

She enquires: “What kind of business is it?”

“‘Investments,’ he said, shrugging. She was disappointed to hear this, but he had a sense of humor, which always made the difference between a dull man and a sparkling one.” Rarely these days are single girls disappointed to hear that a guy is in “investments” – especially girls who want to be artists. It’s a mark of Ms. Steinke’s ability to draw a clear, consistent character – as well as a sign of how times have changed – that Elsa is let down at such news. Who wants a boring banker around?

There is no shortage of sex or thinking about sex in this novel. In the attempt to show that Elsa could not be bothered by social codes or expectations for behavior, Ms. Steinke allows Elsa to indulge in raunchy lust. Our heroine eschews the corset at a time when they are mandatory. When she marries a man who cannot consummate their marriage, he urges her to take a lover, and though he is unhappy that she chooses a friend of his, the three of them sail around Europe together. Which, of course, sets the other passengers all atwitter.

There is also no shortage of poetry in this book. The real-life Elsa left an unfinished autobiography that included a number of poems, and Ms. Steinke relies on those throughout the novel. Elsa’s generation of poetry is also linked to her moods and her health, so they are sprinkled in along with plot developments. Some of the poems, according to the author, are not Elsa’s originals, but were modeled on them. Either way, they add a worthy and artistic dimension to the book.

There are times at which Elsa sounds a touch self-righteous or too modern before her day. The occasional “I am woman, hear me roar” aspect is not convincing. But on the whole, “Holy Skirts” is an entirely captivating journey. Ms. Steinke’s spirited, lively writing makes it easy to visualize the characters and places. Her impressively deep immersion in the age and her main character results in a book that can hold your attention completely. There are books that draw you in and keep you. “Holy Skirts” is one of them.