“Table for 51”

Flip The Box

Author Shari Leid—abandoned in a cardboard box with no identifying information in Seoul, South Korea, and adopted by Japanese American parents—embarks on a remarkable journey across the U.S. to challenge her father’s fears of being unwelcome because of their Asian faces.

In Table for 51, Shari meets strangers and reconnects with people from her own past, sharing a meal in every state. From bustling city cafés to peaceful countryside tables, each encounter reveals the power of human connection.

Through these fifty heartfelt conversations, Shari discovers the magic of belonging and the courage to embrace change, ultimately ending her turbulent twenty-six-year marriage.

The cardboard box she was found in becomes a symbol; by flipping it over, it transforms into the tables she shares, filled with connection and community. Table for 51 will inspire readers to seek out their own meaningful connections and find a place of belonging.