From Scratch

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Tembi Locke

Now a limited Netflix series starring Zoe Saldana! **A REESE WITHERSPOON x HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK ** NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER** A poignant and transporting cross-cultural love story set against the lush backdrop of the Sicilian countryside, where one woman discovers the healing powers of food, family, and unexpected grace in her darkest hour.It was love at first sight when Tembi met professional chef, Saro, on a street in Florence. There was just one problem: Saro’s traditional Sicilian family did not approve of him marrying a black American woman, an actress no less. However, the couple, heartbroken but undeterred, forges on. They build a happy life in Los Angeles, with fulfilling careers, deep friendships and the love of their lives: a baby girl they adopt at birth. Eventually, they reconcile with Saro’s family just as he faces a formidable cancer that will consume all their dreams. From Scratch chronicles three summers Tembi spends in Sicily with her daughter, Zoela, as she begins to piece together a life without her husband in his tiny hometown hamlet of farmers. Where once Tembi was estranged from Saro’s family and his origins, now she finds solace and nourishment—literally and spiritually—at her mother in law’s table. In the Sicilian countryside, she discovers the healing gifts of simple fresh food, the embrace of a close knit community, and timeless traditions and wisdom that light a path forward. All along the way she reflects on her and Saro’s incredible romance—an indelible love story that leaps off the pages. In Sicily, it is said that every story begins with a marriage or a death—in Tembi Locke’s case, it is both. Her story is about loss, but it’s really about love found. Her story is about travel, but it’s really about finding a home. It is about food, but it’s really about chasing flavor as an act of remembrance. From Scratch is for anyone who has dared to reach for big love, fought for what mattered most, and needed a powerful reminder that life is…delicious.

Memoirs

Romance

Tearjerkers

Memoir

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More Details:

Author

Tembi Locke

Pages

352

Publisher

Simon and Schuster

Published Date

2019-04-30

ISBN

1501187651 9781501187650

Community ReviewsSee all

"⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A beautifully written memoir of love found and tragically lost, of Italy, food and family. This book has heartbreak at its core but it’s really more about life going on, living and savoring what life has to offer while still honoring that grief and holding your loved one in your heart. My only quibble is that the timelines jump back and forth from the before to the after and back, again and again which is a little jarring, not only cohesively but emotionally. Otherwise it’s a lovely memoir full of evocative imagery, the love of good food and the wisdom and strength acquired from dealing with an inevitable pain none of us can avoid. I had no idea who Tembi Locke is and now know she was in one of my very favorite shows from the last decade, Eureka. She’s also the sister of author Attica Locke…what a talented family! "

Sher Free✌️

"Beautiful and poignant. As someone who lost their husband to a protracted illness and complications after a car accident, I related so much to the author’s grief and her just trying to navigate through it while being a single mother and doing her best day to day. The show on Netflix based on this book is gorgeous and will make you sob your eyes out and if you don’t believe in love after reading this and watching that-you may be dead."

Danielle Henry

"Such a raw & honest account of love❤️ I could feel the love and heartbreak literally radiate off the pages. Be warned, you WILL need tissues. #love #romance #truestory #interracial_couples #death #travel #food #recipes #italy #memoir #widow #cryworthy "

Katie

"I didn’t have many expectations of this book. I wanted to read this because it’s on Netflix and many people told me how emotional the story was. And it definitely was. It was truly a tough memoir to read. This story helped me appreciate my own husband and children, and inspired me to strive to give them world as a loving/caring wife and nurturing mother. I loved the way Locke was leading & teaching Zoela. I can’t imagine navigating through life after loss while tending to a young child. I felt sympathy for Locke’s & Zoela’s experience. I also think this story captures a beautiful culture of Sicilians, their land, and food. I admired her motivation to learn about Sicilian people and actually become one of them. Overall, a beautiful, tragic, and inspiring story. I can’t wait to see it on Netflix "