Caressa Horvath, raised in the corrupting atmosphere of a traveling carnival, marries an anthropologist named Jacob Bowman, who takes her on a journey to North Africa. Jacob gets himself killed by a band of Bedouin who spare Caressa's life. The only one of her party left alive, Caressa is forced to join the caravan on a harrowing journey across the African desert. Dorothy Gilman (19232012) is the author of the Mrs. Pollifax series, which began with The Unexpected Mrs. Pollifax . In 2010 Gilman was awarded the annual Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America