Published in 2017
321 pages
Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jill Dodd is a writer and artist. She bridged the worlds of men’s and women’s surfing as the founder and designer of ROXY. After graduating from FIDM, she spent seventeen years as an American swimwear and sportswear designer. Prior to design, Jill was with Wilhelmina Models and appeared in Paris Vogue, Marie Claire, Glamour, Bazaar, Mademoiselle, Teen, French Cosmopolitan, among others. As a skilled painter, she joined the artist community in Laguna Canyon and now practices ceramics. She has spent the past seven years working on her memoir while raising her three children with her husband Jeff, in Northern California.
What is this book about?
In this courageous and inspiring memoir about personal freedom and spiritual empowerment, Jill Dodd “writes earnestly and refreshingly about learning many of life’s more difficult lessons the hard way” (Kirkus Reviews) through her journey from Paris model to Saudi billionaire’s harem wife to multi-million dollar business entrepreneur.
In the 1980s, Jill Dodd determined that her ticket out of an abusive home was to make it as a top model in Paris. Armed with only her desire for freedom and independence, she embarks on an epic journey that takes her to uncharted territory—the Parisian fashion industry with all its beautiful glamour and its ugly underbelly of sex, drugs, and excess. From there, Jill begins an eye-opening adventure that includes trips to Monte Carlo, sexual exploitation, and falling in love with one of the richest men in the world, agreeing to become one of his wives—until she finds the courage to walk away from it all and rebuild her dreams.
The Currency of Love is a raw, honest, and inspiring portrait of a young woman’s struggles and triumphs from fashion model to Saudi billionaire’s pleasure wife to founder and creator of global fashion line, ROXY. This modern memoir with a feminist fairy tale twist reveals how one woman chose to live her life without forfeiting her independence, ambition, creative expression, and free spirit, all while learning one invaluable lesson: nothing is worth the sacrifice of her integrity, inner peace, and spirit.
