From Scratch

A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home

By: Tembi Locke

Narrated by: Tembi Locke

A 2020 Audie Award Finalist

One of AudioFile’s Best Audiobooks of 2019!

Now a limited Netflix series starring Zoe Saldaña!

This Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick and New York Times bestseller is “a captivating story of love lost and found” (Kirkus Reviews) set in the lush Sicilian countryside, where one woman discovers the healing powers of food, family, and unexpected grace in her darkest hours.

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.

Critic reviews

"Actor Tembi Locke narrates her memoir in a smooth, warm voice that carries the listener through her story of falling in love with Saro, an engaging Sicilian chef, his early death from cancer, and how time with his family helped heal her intense grief. Locke's memoir frequently shifts timeframes, alternately voicing the devastation of his death and the joy of their life together. Locke captivates as she tells of her love for Saro and their daughter, Zoela; the pain of rejection by his family when he married her, a black American; and the bittersweet joy of reconciliation during his illness. Listeners will savor Locke's lyrical English and Italian, and will be swept away by scenes in his Sicilian village of finding solace in food made with love."

Beautiful Story

This book actually takes you to Sicily. You can imagine the scenery, the smells, the food and wonderful relationships. I loved it!!

Absolutely lovely! Poetic, raw and real.

This was such a touching, raw and poetic memoir. I found myself so caught up in the story. This is such a beautiful tribute to her late husband. I would recommend this book just for the food descriptions alone, but the other parts are great too, it really brings to life Sicily and Italian culture. I found Tembi's writing very real and honest but also very poetic in nature and description. She definitely has a way with words. Beautiful read, I definitely recommend it.

Adore

I don’t think I could have loved this story more. As someone who has spent a lot of time in Italy and whose family is of southern Italian ancestry, this story could not have more evocative of the landscape, people, language, and food of the people I know. To boot, the story was incredibly touching and honest, dealing so well with the fullness of love, loss, and life.

Breathtaking

Thank you for sharing your story with all of us! I laughed. I cried. My heart was warmed and it brought back fond memories of my travels to Sicily!!

Just beautiful

I absolutely love this audiobook. The best part was having it read by the author herself. Her Italian is beautiful. Her words and descriptions are so vivid.