An Evening with Ruthie Ackerman: Love, Loss, and Rewriting the Story of Motherhood
Join us for a deeply moving evening with award-winning journalist and author Ruthie Ackerman as she opens her heart and her life through her new memoir, The Mother Code: My Story of Love, Loss, and the Myths That Shape Us.
Born into a family marked by silence and abandonment, Ruthie’s journey is one of reckoning—with her past, with the fear of passing on a rare genetic disorder, and with what it means to mother when you’ve never quite known the shape of safety. But this is not just her story.
Through intimate conversations with doctors, geneticists, and women navigating motherhood in its many forms, Ruthie paints a portrait of what it means to carry life, care for it, question it, or walk away from it - all with grace and grit. From fertility struggles and egg freezing to the rise of “momfluencers” and the quiet ache of not-knowing, The Mother Code invites us into the raw, beautiful complexity of mothering in today’s world.
Whether you're a mother, never want to be one, are still deciding, or are trying to understand someone else’s path, this conversation is for you. It’s a space to lay down shame, pick up empathy, and consider the stories we’ve inherited—and the ones we have the power to change.
Come for the truth. Stay for the healing. Leave with a story that just might change your own.
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About Ruthie
Ruthie Ackerman’s writing has been published in Vogue, Glamour, O Magazine, The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Salon, Slate, Newsweek, and more. She launched the Ignite Writers Collective in 2019 and, since then, has worked with hundreds of writers to publish their own stories. Ruthie has a Master’s in Journalism from New York University and lives in Brooklyn with her family.
Learn more: ruthieackerman.com
Instagram: @ruackerman
Moderated by Farnoosh Torabi
Farnoosh is a leading personal finance expert, author, and sought-after speaker, known for making financial literacy accessible and empowering, especially for women. As the former CNBC host and creator of the Webby Award-winning podcast So Money, she engages millions with candid conversations on money and life with notable guests like Queen Latifah and Zarna Garg. Farnoosh has been featured in major outlets like The Today Show and The New York Times. She also launched The Montclair Pod, a local podcast exploring Montclair’s culture and community.
Learn more: farnoosh.tv
Instagram: @farnooshtorabi
Montclair Pod
In partnership with Watchung Booksellers
