Ginsburg “embraced life until the very end” and remained busy throughout 2019 (257). When the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, it presented a “reprieve” for Ginsburg, who could no longer attend events (257). Totenberg explains that coping with the effects of the pandemic helped her understand the strength of her bond with Ginsburg, as she too relied on Totenberg’s friendship. Totenberg’s apartment became one of the few places Ginsburg could venture out to, and she went to dinner there every Saturday night. Totenberg feels that Ginsburg chose to continue visiting because of their long friendship, as well as her close connection to David, who would also give her medical advice. David, who loved to cook, always made dinner. Totenberg calls her dinners with Ruth “one of the greatest privileges” of her life (259). Due to Ginsburg’s health problems, Totenberg and David had to thoroughly disinfect their house and prepare specific meals according to Ginsburg’s limited diet. Her favorite dish was Julia Child’s bouillabaisse. Ginsburg always arrived at dinner looking stylish, even though her old hobby of shopping was impossible during the pandemic. As her cancers returned and her quality of life dramatically declined, Ginsburg kept up her established routine of watching operas from the comfort of her home, working consistently, and going to dinner at Totenberg’s home. Ginsburg was upset that she could not maintain the same workload that she used to, and thus had to assign some of her work to Justice Sonia Sotomayor. The author explains, “This was a woman who was less than two months from death, and she felt guilty that she could not maintain her expected pace” (264). The author did not know the details of Ginsburg’s illnesses, but she saw that her health was declining. She decided to not reveal anything to people she knew, neither colleagues nor acquaintances, since she felt it was Ginsburg’s private business. As Ginsburg’s health declined, Totenberg said goodbye to her over the phone, and Ginsburg later passed on Rosh Hashanah at sundown.

After her passing, friends and family held one funeral service for Ginsburg, while the Capitol held another. Outside the Supreme Court Building, there was an informal memorial where people created tributes to Ginsburg and left flowers, candles, and messages. Despite the pandemic, people lined up to pay their respects and view Ginsburg’s casket as it lay in state in the Capitol. She was later buried at Arlington National Cemetery beside her husband, Marty. Ginsburg’s final wish was for the next Supreme Court Justice to be selected after the November election; however, President Trump declined to honor this wish and nominated Amy Coney Barrett before Ginsburg’s burial.

Totenberg credits Ginsburg for being a persuasive and powerful presence on the Court, managing to win over her colleagues and pass decisions even when she was outnumbered conservative Justices. The author argues that Ginsburg would have been upset by the leak of the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision on abortion, as well as the apparent tension and distrust between some of the Justices. She recalls how Justice Brennan had tried to “collaborate, not clobber,” lamenting that current Justices are not espousing this approach (273). Totenberg argues that Alito’s draft of the Court’s abortion decision used “score-settling, angry, bitter” language that is disrespectful and violates the traditions that Ginsburg had helped to uphold (275). Totenberg argues that Ginsburg would have been “white faced with fury” about how Alito has tried to “enlist her legal writing” from decades ago to support his own critique of abortion rights (275). Totenberg claims that public faith in the Court is decreasing, and laments the “climate of division” that is emerging, noting that Justices require more security than ever, as their homes are often the site of protests and demonstrations (277).

The author describes how moved she was to visit Ginsburg’s gravesite a year after her burial and find that it had become a kind of “pilgrimage” destination for people from all over America and even the world (277). Each week, the Arlington National Cemetery gathers the objects people leave, from small stones to notes and flowers, and throws them away. Totenberg hopes that people continue to honor Ginsburg and look to her as a role model, calling her “One of those rare people who truly changed the world and had something important to say to every generation” (278). Totenberg concludes her book by acknowledging that all of her friends have shared an important trait—optimism—which she strives to live with as well.