The Incredible Lady Harriet

About the Book

The story centers around Anthony Kraemer, a young student of anthropology from Alaska. He receives an invitation from a mysterious Lady Harriet to paint her portrait, for a great amount of money. Lady Harriet resides on a small unknown island, somewhere north-east of the Exuma Islands in the Caribbean. Although Anthony has never heard of this lady, he accepts the assignment immediately, for the offer is too good to turn down. Upon his arrival on Cornwell Island, things appear somewhat exaggerated and comical, even mystical to him. The hotel staff seems to be informed about every detail of Lady Harriet’s life and about every move she makes. The entire population of the island seems to be charmed by her, there’s no conflict, no dispute of any kind. Anthony soon gets to know the lady and her staff on the estate and sort of falls in love with all of them in various degrees. Library articles and newspaper clippings confirm Lady Harriet is indeed the incredible lady she is made out to be and more. Yet, it is Hannah, the remarkable cook and personal assistant to Lady Harriet that gives him sleepless nights, and he can’t wait to see more of her. The people Anthony meets all except and welcome him, and Anthony feels at home and comfortable on the island. Hannah’s life becomes unraveled and his own dreams seem to fall apart in the unraveling. The story that follows is somewhat convoluted with a trillion twists and surprises. It makes it hard for the reader to put the book down. It is filled with whimsical and witty humor, as well as romance and true love, but also hardship and murder too close to home. It makes this book haunting and unforgettable. The reader becomes intensely involved and mesmerized, looking for more as the story unfolds.

About the Author

Hildegard Caringi grew up in Germany, studied medical instruments and has a degree in business administration. Caringi lived in London and Paris before immigrating to the United States of America. Caringi applied and waited two and a half years in Germany for her green card, before she was allowed to immigrate to the USA and settled in Washington, D.C., for two years. Deciding to see more of the country, Caringi moved to Miami, Florida and became a successful print and fashion model. Soon she worked for Catalina as a sports and swimwear model. She also modeled for Kaiser Roth and became the only Scandal girl, named after the Scandal bathing suit. She did documentary films in Nassau, Caribbean Islands, Paradise Island, Jamica, and Freeport; many travelogues followed. Back in the USA, Caringi made the big move to Hollywood, California. A couple of years later, an opportunity arose and Caringi moved to Mexico City and Acapulco where she joined ANDA, the Mexican union. In Yucatan, she worked for Italian Vogue as a fashion and photo model, made commercials, and worked for the Mexican film industry. Through an American agent she also worked at the famous nightclub La Concha as a showgirl/dancer for a high paying salary. Two months after returning to Los Angeles, she married the actor, writer, producer E.J. Caringi, aka Steve Drexel. The stage name was given to him by Universal Studios. Six years later Caringi decided to become a citizen of the U.S.A. She worked for over thirty years in Hollywood as an actor in films and on the stage. She directed several plays that she authored herself and worked as a drama coach for over twenty years. Caringi interviewed celebrities and wrote showbusiness related articles for the German Newspaper, Die Neue Presse. It was published once a week and was available all over the United States. At the same time, Caringi also worked as a German radio D.J. and a German TV announcer in Los Angeles at Ch 18. Caringi and her husband moved to Quartz Hill, California and eventually retired there. Now widowed, Caringi lives in Lancaster, California, but still considers Rendsburg, Schleswig-Holstein in Germany her home. One of eight children, Caringi left a huge family, relatives, and life-long friends behind, reflecting on her birthplace in Danzig, formally West Prussia Germany, as the ancestral and spiritual home. Caringi has written several novels, poetry books, plays and musicals. Caringi taught drama for several years in Quartz Hill and Lancaster, and she established a repertory company of fifty to seventy-five members, frequently performing at benefit shows. She was joined and supported by Texan-born Debbie Logsdon Rendon, a professional dance choreographer, who is an amazing talent. She brought all my shows to life.