Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by abigailcarol
From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke
5.0
Follow me on Instagram @bookmarkedbya / instagram.com/bookmarkedbya and see my full review at my blog: https://bookmarkedbya.wordpress.com/
A heartbreaking memoir about incredible love, tremendous loss, and leaning on the comforts of family and food to survive.
While studying abroad in Italy, Tembi meets Saro. Their relationship flourishes quickly and their epic love affair begins in the streets of Florence. In LA, they make a life together. It’s clouded by the knowledge that Saro’s parents don’t support his marriage to Tembi - a Black American. Saro’s rare cancer diagnosis is the beginning of their end. When he dies, Tembi must learn how to survive - for herself and for her daughter. The unexpected comforts of Saro’s Sicilian hometown, his mother, and her authentic cooking help net navigate grief and the vast possibilities of life after Saro.
This book is amazing - so heartbreaking and wonderfully written. The structure is uniquely dynamic, and Locke’s life stories are exceptionally interesting. Books that make me cry are my favorite, and this one made me weep. In particular, Locke’s descriptions of Saro’s final days left me breathless. A very compelling theme, belonging, is prevalent throughout the novel. Neither Tembi or her daughter are white or Sicilian, so they stick out like a sore thumb on their visits. Do they belong in Sicily or this family when Saro is no longer around to bridge the gap? Locke also plays with the connection between food, comfort, and growth quite a lot - it welcomes guests, cures sadness, and nourishes the body like nothing else can. Deeply symbolic and equally mouth-watering, I love this aspect of the book. From Scratch is such a special memoir. Beautifully written and exceptionally heartbreaking, I think it will touch your heart as it has mine.
A heartbreaking memoir about incredible love, tremendous loss, and leaning on the comforts of family and food to survive.
While studying abroad in Italy, Tembi meets Saro. Their relationship flourishes quickly and their epic love affair begins in the streets of Florence. In LA, they make a life together. It’s clouded by the knowledge that Saro’s parents don’t support his marriage to Tembi - a Black American. Saro’s rare cancer diagnosis is the beginning of their end. When he dies, Tembi must learn how to survive - for herself and for her daughter. The unexpected comforts of Saro’s Sicilian hometown, his mother, and her authentic cooking help net navigate grief and the vast possibilities of life after Saro.
This book is amazing - so heartbreaking and wonderfully written. The structure is uniquely dynamic, and Locke’s life stories are exceptionally interesting. Books that make me cry are my favorite, and this one made me weep. In particular, Locke’s descriptions of Saro’s final days left me breathless. A very compelling theme, belonging, is prevalent throughout the novel. Neither Tembi or her daughter are white or Sicilian, so they stick out like a sore thumb on their visits. Do they belong in Sicily or this family when Saro is no longer around to bridge the gap? Locke also plays with the connection between food, comfort, and growth quite a lot - it welcomes guests, cures sadness, and nourishes the body like nothing else can. Deeply symbolic and equally mouth-watering, I love this aspect of the book. From Scratch is such a special memoir. Beautifully written and exceptionally heartbreaking, I think it will touch your heart as it has mine.