I put Tembi Locke’s memoir From Scratch on my TBR several years ago after a friend recommended it to me as one of the most beautifully written memoirs she had ever read. However the same friend was also adamant that the absolutely best way to experience this book was via audio. Since, at the time, I had a bit of a fraught relationship with audiobooks, I unsurprisingly put off reading this book at the time. Now that I’m back into audiobooks, I of course jumped at the opportunity to finally experience Tembi’s memoir and I have to say that I absolutely agree with my friend’s assessment: this is indeed one of the most beautifully written memoirs I’ve ever read, and yes, the best way to experience Tembi’s story is definitely via audio.
Tembi’s memoir is, in essence, a love letter to her late husband Saro, an Italian chef with whom she had a cross-cultural romance for almost two decades until he died from cancer in 2012. In the face of such a devastating loss, a heartbroken Tembi finds herself navigating widowhood and solo motherhood. With her young daughter Zoela in tow, Tembi returns to her husband’s hometown of Sicily, where she finds an unlikely ally in her mother-in-law Croce, also a widow who now must endure the additional loss of her only son. In their shared grief over their beloved Saro, Tembi and her mother-in-law find solace in each other’s company -- more significantly for Tembi, she finds healing and nourishment at her mother-in-law’s table through the authentic dishes that Croce cooks for her as well as through the close-knit Sicilian community that embraces her as one of their own. From Scratch chronicles Tembi’s incredible story – at once a deeply romantic love story as well as an ode to the healing power of family, food, and culture in the face of indescribable grief.
In listening to the audiobook, I found Tembi’s narration both powerful and heartfelt. I cried through the many moments of sadness yet also smiled through tears during the moments of joy. I also loved the lush descriptions of delicious Italian food and the picturesque Italian countryside, which felt especially authentic and transportive through Tembi’s genuine and emotional narration.
This was a heartbreaking read for sure, but it was also uplifting and inspiring – I ended up falling in love with not just Tembi and Saro and Zoela as well as both of their families, but also with the community in the Sicilian countryside of Aliminusa. I definitely recommend picking this one up, but have a box of tissues nearby because it will absolutely be needed.
P.S.: I just found out that Tembi Locke published a follow up to From Scratch in September of last year, a new memoir entitled Someday, Now that chronicles her return to Sicily for one final summer before her daughter goes off to college. I already downloaded the audiobook and can’t wait to listen!
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