Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships

Nina Totenberg, NPR's legal affairs correspondent, chronicles her decades-long friendship with Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. Their bond began in the 1970s when Totenberg covered the Supreme Court as a young journalist, and Ginsburg was a pioneering attorney arguing landmark gender discrimination cases. The memoir traces the parallel paths of two women who rose to prominence in male-dominated fields, supporting each other through professional challenges and personal hardships. Totenberg shares stories of their regular dinners, family celebrations, and mutual support during times of loss, including the deaths of both their husbands. The narrative expands beyond their relationship to include Totenberg's other close friendships with powerful Washington women, including NPR colleagues Cokie Roberts and Linda Wertheimer. These connections formed a vital support network as the women navigated their careers in journalism and law during transformative decades in American society. The book serves as both a tribute to an extraordinary friendship and a meditation on how professional and personal relationships intersect to shape lives and careers. Through intimate stories of connection and companionship, it demonstrates the essential role of friendship in achieving both individual success and social progress.

Readers note this book focuses more on Totenberg's career and life than on Ruth Bader Ginsburg, with their friendship serving as a recurring thread rather than the main focus. The subtitle led many to expect more RBG content. Readers appreciated: - Behind-the-scenes glimpses of Supreme Court reporting - Details about women breaking into male-dominated journalism - The portrayal of long-term female friendships - Stories about NPR's early days Common criticisms: - Too much about Totenberg's personal life/career - Not enough RBG content despite the title - Repetitive anecdotes - Surface-level treatment of complex topics Review Scores: Goodreads: 3.9/5 (6,800+ ratings) Amazon: 4.4/5 (2,100+ ratings) "The title is misleading but the content is worth reading," notes one Amazon reviewer. A Goodreads user writes: "Expected an intimate portrait of RBG, got Totenberg's autobiography instead."

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🍽️ Nina Totenberg and Ruth Bader Ginsburg maintained their close friendship for nearly 50 years, beginning in 1971 when Totenberg was a legal affairs reporter and Ginsburg was a law professor and women's rights advocate. ⚖️ The book reveals how Ginsburg played matchmaker for Totenberg, introducing her to her second husband, surgeon David Reines, at a dinner party in 2000. 📻 Nina Totenberg broke the story of Anita Hill's sexual harassment allegations against Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas, which won her multiple journalism awards and changed the national conversation about workplace harassment. 🎭 Many of the deep conversations between Totenberg and Ginsburg happened over home-cooked meals, with Ginsburg particularly fond of her husband Marty's cooking, though she rarely cooked herself. 👭 The memoir not only chronicles Totenberg's friendship with RBG but also celebrates her close bonds with fellow NPR "founding mothers" Cokie Roberts and Linda Wertheimer, showcasing how these women supported each other while breaking barriers in journalism.