From Scratch by Tembi Locke
(Format used for this read: Print–paperback)
This is our monthly book club pick for our April meeting…which will be done via Zoom….just like every other “gathering” these days. 😢
I absolutely adored this book and yet at the same time had a tough time reading it.
I’ll explain in a sec.
Here is the official summary:
“It was love at first sight when actress Tembi met professional chef, Saro, on a street in Florence. There was just one problem: Saro’s traditional Sicilian family did not approve of his marrying a black American woman. However, the couple, heartbroken but undeterred, forged on. They built a happy life in Los Angeles, with fulfilling careers, deep friendships, and the love of their lives: a baby girl they adopted at birth. Eventually, they reconciled with Saro’s family just as he faced a formidable cancer that would 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, 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 romance—an incredible 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. “Locke’s raw and heartfelt memoir will uplift readers suffering from the loss of their own loved ones” ( Publishers Weekly), but her story is also about love, finding a home, and 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 those who needed a powerful reminder that life is…delicious.”
So I’m going to dive into a few things I adored and also things that were tough for me to read…here we go:
-ADORED: Tembi and Saro’s love story is one plucked straight from a movie, y’all.
The magical circumstantial first meeting, the passionate connection, the whole “handsome Italian chef sweeps American student/actress off her feet in one of the most picturesque and lovely and romantic places IN THE WORLD” thing, all the precious sentimental nicknames, heartfelt gestures and amazing adventures.
I mean…their love connection is one for the AGES.
-TOUGH TO READ: Reading about Saros battle with cancer and Tembi’s role in that journey ; first as a caretaker and then as a widow.
I adore the way she writes with so much emotion and description throughout the book…
but the chapters where she describes his battle, struggles and pain… and the corresponding pain and grief she experiences alongside their young daughter as they watch and then mourn…it’s almost unbearable how you can feel their heaviness in her words.
-ADORED: The breathtaking descriptions of Italy…the scenery, the culture, the people and the FOOD.
Omg the FOOD descriptions! Literally was drooling over each dish that was described. I could almost smell the aromas in Nonna’s Sicilian kitchen.
I have always dreamed of traveling to Italy and reading her exquisite words about the wonders of the country just sparked that desire EVEN MORE.
-TOUGH TO READ: see above.
Especially right now with the horrific state of things in that country and knowing all that beauty is being overcome with tragedy, death, heartbreak and chaos.
And also the life we are leading right now in our own country…feeling trapped and nervous and scared. To read her words was a glorious escape but yet at the same time also made the walls around me close in a bit more.
-ADORED: This goes along with what I said above but a little more specific…I was enchanted to read about the people and culture of Sicily.
I admit that all I knew before this book about this Mediterranean island was what I heard from Sophia when watching “Golden Girls” 🤣
But all jokes aside, a lot of what she shared I could totally envision happening on the cobblestone streets Nonna lives on.
Something that struck my heartstrings the most is how communal Sicilians are…you do not grieve alone, you do not celebrate alone, you do not eat alone….they view their village community bonded as family. It was beautiful to read how they gradually enfolded Tembi and her daughter into their world with their whole hearts.
I could type on and on…I really enjoyed this book even the parts that were hard to read.
I just really love the way Tembi writes…her way with words just really got to my heart… and she talks about so so so many things…what I mentioned is just a handful of things she dives into.
She also talks about her and Saros struggle and familial problems with being an interracial couple, her daughters own journey thru grief and childhood, and how she balanced being a caregiver and mother with a career.
While this book is was not an “easy breezy” read, I really really liked it.
I look forward to reading more from her in the future for sure.
OH!!!! And…there are a BUNCH of tasty Italian recipes at the end.
I haaaate cooking so I doubt I will actually try them….but they sound amazing 🤣