meet the character:
the girl I used to be: Jill
Welcome, Jill. This book marks quite a change for you, doesn’t it? Can you tell us a little about your journey?
Without giving anything away? Sure, I’ll do my best. I was born and raised in New Jersey, in a working-class neighborhood where everyone was exactly who they seemed to be. I was the kid with the headphones on, the flannel shirt tied around my waist, and layers of string bracelets on my wrist. I loved photography and I hung out in the art room after school with my friends. I was happy and thought I always would be.
But when I was nineteen, I met a man who changed everything for me.
You’re talking about Marc Goodman, the man you’d eventually marry. He was quite a bit older than you, wasn’t he?
Yeah, he was. That should have been a red flag but I was too naive to see it.
How did you two meet?
I was an office temp, earning money to pay for my college tuition and he was my boss--he owned the company, in fact. We had the proverbial ‘whirlwind courtship’. I was young and stupid and honestly thought he was my Prince Charming.
But he wasn’t?
Nope. The criticisms and corrections started the afternoon of our honeymoon: parts of me he wanted me to change, suggestions to make me ‘better’. Before I knew it, I was dressing in linens and silks, had traded my music for his, and spent most of my time hosting parties for his clients. Oh – I was also known as the ‘trophy wife’, which was fun. I was unrecognizable and absolutely miserable.
And you found your way back to The Girl You Used To Be?
Ha! I see what you did there. Yes, I did find my way back. It was hard and there were times when it would have been so much easier just to give up. I had a cushy life. But I had friends to lean on and there was an injustice that I couldn’t let stand. As my best friend Ellie says ‘never underestimate the strength of a girl from New Jersey’.
Let’s mix it up a bit with a few Get To Know You questions. Ready?
Yep. Let’s do it.
Beer or wine?
Beer, definitely. I’ve had enough white wine spritzers to last a lifetime.
Cats or Dogs?
Dogs. They are who they appear to be -- they have nothing to hide.
Favorite meal?
A stack of double-cheese pizzas and a cooler of beer, enjoyed with friends.
Favorite guilty pleasure?
Sleeping late. Definitely, sleeping late.