Thank you to Libro FM for the audio galley of Nina Totenberg’s memoir, Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships.
Journalist Nina Totenberg shares intimate details from her decades long friendship with justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In addition to her relationship with Ginsburg, Totenberg shares stories from other important friendships, such as those with fellow NPR correspondents, Cokie Roberts and Linda Wertheimer.
I listed to the audio version of this book, narrated by the author. Totenberg has a warm and engaging voice, making it a pleasure to hear her share her stories. I think it would be easy for some people to dismiss this book as “for liberals” but politics plays a small role. In fact, Totenberg conveys a wistfulness for a time when people of different political ideologies could share a friendship, especially when explaining the deep respect between justices Ginsburg and Scalia, a relationship that pushed beyond political ideology. Totenberg focuses her book on the commonalities and humanity that creates bonds, not the things which separate us.
Totenberg and her friends all began their careers when women were not viewed as equals. Totenberg revealed that woman could not even get a credit card in their name until the 1970’s. As a woman born in 1977, this just put into perspective how different my life has been from that of my mom. I feel like I understood my mom’s generation on a deeper level from reading Dinners with Ruth. The friendships they formed not only fed their souls, but were critical for opportunities in the work place. The women of Totenberg’s generation helped each other move up the ladder; rather than seeing competitors, they took victories in the successes of their friends.
Dinners with Ruth is a fantastic book to gift to a friend. As I’m approaching fifty, it made me take stock of my own friendships and feel grateful. I also appreciate the strength of my mom’s generation, paving the way for better opportunities in my life.