Dinners with Ruth: A Memoir on the Power of Friendships, by Nina Totenberg (2022)
The title of this book would lead the reader to think that it is about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It is, but it is also about Nina Totenberg. There was far too much about Nina Totenberg and I would have liked more about Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
The book is about friendships of all kinds. Nina talks about her friendships with her husbands, other reporters, other judges and justices. With few exceptions, the friendships she discusses are well-known people, name-dropping.
There are many parallels in the lives of Ruth and Nina. Both women were children of Jewish immigrant parents. Both women were leaders in their respective fields, both women used their positions to help shape the political discourse of American society.
They were friends for over 50 years. They first met in the early 1970s when Nina was reporting on the Supreme Court and Ruth was arguing a case before the High Court. Slowly, over time, they became fast friends. We only see snippets of Ruth in this book, however. For this reason, I could only give this book 3 stars. I wanted more Ruth and less Nina.
Read: March 27, 2026
3 Stars
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