The book presents Geraldine Elizabeth "Liz" Carmichael, an American automobile executive and convicted fraudster. During the 1970s energy crisis, she promoted a prototype for a low-cost fuel-efficient car via Twentieth Century Motor Car Corporation, but fled with investor money. She was captured in 1989, and served 18 months on fraud charges.
She was born Jerry Dean Michael in Indiana in 1927. She grew up in Jasonville, Indiana, later moving to Detroit, Michigan with her family.
According to Wikipedia, Carmichael married four times while identifying as Jerry Dean Michael. She was charged with desertion for leaving her first wife, Marga, whom she met while stationed in Germany, and their two children.
