This review covers Shari Leid’s new book Table for 51 – Lessons Learned from Sharing Meals Across America. While the title sounds like making a reservation for or planning a big party, the book is about the author traveling thru the 50 States of the United States of America meeting one woman over a shared meal in each state. Thus, it’s a table for two. This book is not a classic travel report nor a book about the culinary arts of each state. It is about the women met, her finding herself, and the beauty, common and diversity of our Nation’s culture and people. Read why this book is a Must-Read not only when trying to change your (good) life to live your best life.
Disclosure: Ad. The book “Table for 51 – Lessons Learned from Sharing Meals Across America” is a sample of my choice from Pacific Court. The post is not endorsed by them or the author. I wrote it entirely myself and it represents my own 100% honest opinion.
What Is Shari Leid’s Newest Book Table for 51 About?
The book has several layers. It is a report of the author’s traveling the US and meeting a woman in each state.
Another layer are the common experiences of her and the women of all ages she met on her journey. It’s about what makes us an American woman.
The next layer is what she learned from these women and about what makes us an American.
The book also tells her life story of growing up as an only (adopted) child, her relation to her parents, her mixed race marriage, her love for her son and adopted daughter, personal insecurities due to surgery and belonging to a minority, and her growth to creating an imperfectly perfect life that she loves, and had seen and admired when meeting some of the 50 women.
This interesting mix made the book very enjoyable and interesting for me as a naturalized American. However, because the large majority of Americans has a family history of immigration this book teaches us about the diverse roots of our culture. Another aspect is the often overlooked power of a shared meal. Therefore, I believe this book goes way beyond just entertainment. It’s a Must-Read about who we are as a Nation, and about that you have more control over your own happiness and life than you think.
The Structure of Table for 51
The author structured the book as a mix of diary notes, a travel log for each destination, and reports about her meeting with the women. Herein, the introduces the woman providing a photo showing the woman met and herself, the name, age, marital status, number of kids (if any), and the occupation.
Next follows how the author made the contact with the woman met. While some of the women were friends, former classmates, neighborhood or professional contacts, many women were friends of friends or contacts made via social media. As a result, the majority of the women are middle class professionals but represent the diversity of cultural heritage of Americans.
After mentioning the place where they shared their meals, a brief summary of their conversations follows. It is focused on what she learned from the meeting for herself and about lifestyle. This way ensures a nice reading flow, and avoids writing 51 personal stories.
The diary sections are not in chronological time order but tied to her learnings from the meeting. Probably some of the insights in the diary notes may be in the retrospective during the writing and editing of the meeting notes.
Where to Buy Table for 51?
The book comes out on February, 18. You can buy Table for 51 on
Amazon for $10.99 as Kindl or $17.95 as paperback version, respectively,
Bookshop, and
BAM.
Take-Aways from the Review of Table for 51
The presentation of the book departs from the conventions of the travel books, self-finding books and biographies. While I have read many books of these genres, I never came across a book that blended finding yourself, creating a life you love, and what it means being an American. My take-away is that in America everyone belongs to a majority but also to a minority. We all brought our heritage to the table and create a culture that many other nations envy. Creating this culture has been possible because our ancestors or we have wanted to live a life we love.
About Shari Leid
Shari Leid earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, followed by a Doctorate of Jurisprudence, and worked 15 years as a trial attorney. After being a stay-at-home mom of her son and adopted daughter she turned into a reinvention coach, a friendship expert, author, speaker, influencer, and has become the face behind An Imperfectly Perfect Life, LLC. She and her books have been featured on many major news networks including Fox News, NBC, CBS, people, and Huffington Post.
Photos: N. Mölders
© 2013-2025 Nicole Mölders | All rights reserved
