Save Me the Plums

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

1. Did you find Reichl to be a compelling narrator? Why or why not?

2. Do you have a personal emotional connection to Gourmet magazine? Is there another magazine that played a similarly important role in your early life?

3. How does this memoir compare to other food memoirs you may have read, such as Ina Garten’s Be Ready When the Luck Happens or Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential?

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

1. Reichl repeatedly finds that her best career moments happen when she is scared. Have you ever had to do something professionally scary at work? How did you respond to that fear?

2. Throughout the memoir, Reichl demonstrates the close connection between food and family. What recipes remind you of family? What steps do you take to preserve those recipes?

3. While at the peak of her career, Reichl realizes that her professional success is bittersweet as it forces her to give up the things she once loved best about her role. Have you ever found that a significant achievement brought with it an unexpected challenge?

Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.

1. The memoir uses Gourmet as a case study for the rise and fall of print media in the 1990s. Explore the highs and lows of this journey, as seen through Ruth’s career.

2. How does Reichl’s personal perspective on the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York City reflect contemporary conversations about the importance of community solidarity and support? 

3. The emphasis on profit in the magazine industry is an important theme in the memoir. What parallels do you see between Reichl’s experiences at Gourmet and the current state of print journalism in the United States?

4. The memoir depicts a difficult moment in American economic history, as the 2008 recession caused several important magazines, including Gourmet, to close. How have later economic problems affected media culture?

Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.

1. The memoir’s epigraph is taken from the poem “This Is Just to Say” by William Carlos Williams. How does this poem relate to memoir’s key themes? Why do you think Reichl chose this poem as her title?

2. How does Reichl develop as a leader over the course of the memoir? How does this professional development affect her characterization?

3. Although Reichl was raised in New York City, she began her career in food writing on the West Coast of the United States. What differences do you see in the memoir’s depiction of New York and Los Angeles? 

4. How does Reichl’s relationship with her son contribute to the memoir’s discussion of the emotional connection between family and food? What other examples of this theme are present in the memoir?

5. The memoir describes two trips to Paris in which Reichl twice encounters the same old man eating alone in the same restaurant. How does the man function as a symbol of Reichl’s attempts to define herself?

Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.

1. If this book were adapted into a movie in the vein of The Devil Wears Prada, who would you cast in the role of Ruth Reichl?

2. Design a cookbook based on the recipes of your family or friends. What recipes would you include? How would you organize the cookbook?