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Nosh: What My Sabbatical Taught Me About Connection, One Lunch at a Time
What My Sabbatical Taught Me About Connection, One Lunch at a Time is a humorous and heartwarming memoir about what happens when we slow down, reach out, and truly listen.
When Heather L. Cleary stepped away from her corporate role at Starbucks® Coffee Company for a year-long "Coffee Break" sabbatical, she knew trading an office buzzing with 5,000 people for quiet days with only her cats might get lonely. Determined to stay connected, she set herself a share a meal with a different person every week.
What began as a simple plan to ward off isolation quickly became something deeper. Over fifty-two lunches, Heather discovered that every person across the table carried their own extraordinary stories, histories, and dreams, and that connection doesn't need scripts or grand gestures, just a table, a meal, and a willingness to listen.
With warmth, wit, and insight, NOSH is a celebration of human connection, the kind that reminds us we're never truly alone. It invites readers to look at the remarkable people in their own lives, cherish the precious time they share, and rediscover how taking time to connect can bridge divides, spark joy, and weave the bonds that hold us all together.
When Heather L. Cleary stepped away from her corporate role at Starbucks® Coffee Company for a year-long "Coffee Break" sabbatical, she knew trading an office buzzing with 5,000 people for quiet days with only her cats might get lonely. Determined to stay connected, she set herself a share a meal with a different person every week.
What began as a simple plan to ward off isolation quickly became something deeper. Over fifty-two lunches, Heather discovered that every person across the table carried their own extraordinary stories, histories, and dreams, and that connection doesn't need scripts or grand gestures, just a table, a meal, and a willingness to listen.
With warmth, wit, and insight, NOSH is a celebration of human connection, the kind that reminds us we're never truly alone. It invites readers to look at the remarkable people in their own lives, cherish the precious time they share, and rediscover how taking time to connect can bridge divides, spark joy, and weave the bonds that hold us all together.
283 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 8, 2025
7 people are currently reading
7 people want to read
About the author
Heather L. Cleary
1 book2 followersWhen she isn’t dashing to the front door to sign for a wine shipment, Heather can often be found listening to various genres of music, reading about musicians, or watching documentaries about music. Or reading something … always reading something.
She and her husband, Mark, have lived in the Pacific Northwest for almost twenty years and have been married for almost thirty! They are the proud parents of their now adult children, Nolan and Bridget. For Heather, it has been a joy to see them grow into compassionate human beings.
While her two cats, Cora and Callie, let Heather think she runs the household, they know better. Every day, Heather does her best to live out her mantra … Run. Write. Dream. BE.
She and her husband, Mark, have lived in the Pacific Northwest for almost twenty years and have been married for almost thirty! They are the proud parents of their now adult children, Nolan and Bridget. For Heather, it has been a joy to see them grow into compassionate human beings.
While her two cats, Cora and Callie, let Heather think she runs the household, they know better. Every day, Heather does her best to live out her mantra … Run. Write. Dream. BE.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 24, 2025
Heartwarming soup for the soul
If you had ever lost faith in humanity due to observing road rage, reading the current news, or that fight with a relative this book will certainly uplift and help reset your perspective on what humans and the human heart is capable of. Within each story/lunch there is a glimmer of hope for shared love and compassion. I enjoyed reading about how connecting over some food can help keep ties between two people strong and I hope to follow suit with my own attempts to connect.
If you had ever lost faith in humanity due to observing road rage, reading the current news, or that fight with a relative this book will certainly uplift and help reset your perspective on what humans and the human heart is capable of. Within each story/lunch there is a glimmer of hope for shared love and compassion. I enjoyed reading about how connecting over some food can help keep ties between two people strong and I hope to follow suit with my own attempts to connect.
December 10, 2025
The most valuable connections are about quality, not quantity.
Before I read this book I had never thought about making connections with others as a matter of quality time, not quantity. I’ve always judged the value of my connection with people by the amount of time I spend with them. The more time I spend with you, the more valuable, or important our connection is. Who knew that was really not true?
This perception has led me to miss out on opportunities to be a part of someone’s life because I felt like I couldn’t commit to seeing/engaging with them frequently enough.
I related to so many of the stories here. For some it was a shocking realization that “Wow! I’m not the only person that thinks/feels like this!”.
For others, it was the chance to look at something through another persons eyes and perspective.
The stories are relatively short, which makes it very easy for my ADHD warped mind to jump in and out of the book without feeling like I’m interrupting the story.
You should see all the notes and observations written in the margins already!
This is not a “self help” book, with weird advice that may work for the author, but that doesn’t necessarily mean much because you are a completely different person.
In truth, I believe that most people will find a story here that makes you think, grow, and share.
Before I read this book I had never thought about making connections with others as a matter of quality time, not quantity. I’ve always judged the value of my connection with people by the amount of time I spend with them. The more time I spend with you, the more valuable, or important our connection is. Who knew that was really not true?
This perception has led me to miss out on opportunities to be a part of someone’s life because I felt like I couldn’t commit to seeing/engaging with them frequently enough.
I related to so many of the stories here. For some it was a shocking realization that “Wow! I’m not the only person that thinks/feels like this!”.
For others, it was the chance to look at something through another persons eyes and perspective.
The stories are relatively short, which makes it very easy for my ADHD warped mind to jump in and out of the book without feeling like I’m interrupting the story.
You should see all the notes and observations written in the margins already!
This is not a “self help” book, with weird advice that may work for the author, but that doesn’t necessarily mean much because you are a completely different person.
In truth, I believe that most people will find a story here that makes you think, grow, and share.
November 24, 2025
Beginning and maintaining friendships and connections
The author took me on a personal journey that I never realized I needed. Her weekly lunches with friends and acquaintances and the insights, memories, pain and joys she experienced made me long to reconnect with people from my past. Her writing style is so relatable. This book will make you smile - make you reminisce. It would be a beautiful gift. I'm going to reach out today to a high school friend with whom I share snippets on Facebook. I need to hear her voice and see her smile again!
The author took me on a personal journey that I never realized I needed. Her weekly lunches with friends and acquaintances and the insights, memories, pain and joys she experienced made me long to reconnect with people from my past. Her writing style is so relatable. This book will make you smile - make you reminisce. It would be a beautiful gift. I'm going to reach out today to a high school friend with whom I share snippets on Facebook. I need to hear her voice and see her smile again!
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews