From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home

From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home is a work of nonfiction by Tembi Locke, an American actress, writer, and grief advocate. Shifting between two timelines, one before and the other after the death of her husband, Saro, From Scratch chronicles Tembi and Saro’s relationship and the evolution of her grief and healing after he passes. Drawing on journals, letters, electronic communications, and personal memories, Tembi tells the story of falling in love with Saro during her semester abroad in Florence, their marriage, his battle with cancer, and her journey toward healing in his close-knit Sicilian hometown of Aliminusa. A New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick that was also adapted into a Netflix series in 2022, From Scratch touches on themes of love, loss, grief, food, and community.

This guide refers to the 2019 edition published by Simon & Schuster Paperbacks.

Summary

The Prologue takes place in an olive grove on the outskirts of Saro’s hometown of Aliminusa, Sicily. Tembi reminisces about her life with Saro and fulfills his dying wish to have his ashes scattered in Sicily. Fraught with grief, Tembi wonders how she and Zoela, the daughter she and Saro adopted seven years earlier, will move forward without him.

Part 1, “Before,” shifts between timelines to describe Tembi’s life with Saro and her first summer in Aliminusa after his death. Chapter 1 recounts how Tembi and Saro fell in love while Tembi was a foreign exchange student in Florence. A handsome, talented chef, Saro won Tembi over with his kindness, attentiveness, and, most importantly, his cooking. They married against his parents’ wishes, building a life together in the United States. Chapter 2 opens a week after Saro’s death from cancer before flashing back to his diagnosis, long years of treatment, and death in his and Tembi’s Los Angeles home. Tembi is grief-stricken after Saro dies, but she pushes through her pain for Zoela’s sake. A week later, she finds comfort in recreating the first dish Saro made for her: risotto con sugo verde. Chapter 3 presents another flashback, this focusing on Saro’s rift with his parents, Croce and Giuseppe. Because they were strongly opposed to diverse cultural relationships, Saro’s parents disowned him when he married Tembi. Despite their sadness at this estrangement, Tembi and Saro celebrated their union alongside friends and her family at a villa in Florence.

Part 2, “First Summer,” focuses on Tembi and Zoela’s month-long trip to Sicily after Saro’s death to visit Croce, Saro’s mother, who is also now a widow. Chapter 4 describes Tembi and Zoela arriving in Aliminusa with Saro’s ashes and participating in a Sicilian wake and lament. The next day, Tembi and Croce attend Saro’s funeral before interring some of his ashes at a cemetery. Chapter 5 flashes back to Tembi and Saro’s road to parenthood. After years of trying to conceive, Tembi and Saro pursued adoption while Saro’s cancer was in remission. They adopted a newborn, Zoela, who changed their lives for the better. Chapter 6 transports readers forward in time to Aliminusa. Just hours after burying Saro, Croce is back in her kitchen preparing a meal of lentils and pasta, two comforting Sicilian staples, which she shares with Tembi and Zoela. Chapter 7 describes Saro’s reconciliation with his parents, which took place in Sicily thanks to the help of his sister, Franca. Chapter 8 returns to Tembi’s first summer in Aliminusa, focusing on her and Zoela’s daytrip to Stromboli. Over lunch, Zoela announces that she no longer wants to love her father because loving him is too painful. Tembi worries that being in Sicily has opened old wounds. Chapter 9 describes Tembi and Croce’s evolving relationship and their growing intimacy over the course of the summer.

Part 2, “Second Summer,” centers on Tembi and Zoela’s second trip to Aliminusa. Chapter 10 opens days before the first anniversary of Saro’s death with Tembi preparing heirloom fava beans from Saro’s garden. She serves the dish to friends and family who have gathered to celebrate Saro’s life. Chapter 11 flashes back to Saro and Tembi’s parents’ first meeting. Croce and Giuseppe flew to the US shortly after learning their son was sick, and the two families bonded over Southern soul food. Chapter 12 returns forward in time to Aliminusa, focusing on Tembi’s efforts to acclimate Zoela to Sicilian culture. She arranges for them to make ricotta with a local cheesemaker, an experience they both enjoy. Chapter 13 touches on issues of race and belonging by introducing Aliminusa’s interim priest, a man from Burundi. Croce beams when she introduces Tembi and Zoela to the priest, a detail that emphasizes the family’s growing closeness. Chapter 14 focuses on Tembi and Zoela’s day trips to Agrigento and Cefalù toward the end of their second summer in Aliminusa. The diverse crowd in Cefalù spikes Zoela’s curiosity, leading to a discussion of race, immigration, and slavery. Not long after, Croce announces that she plans to give her house to Tembi and Zoela. Chapter 15 outlines the legal transfer of Croce’s house to Tembi and Zoela, a gift that fuels Tembi’s sense of belonging in Saro’s hometown.

Part 4, “Third Summer,” describes Tembi and Zoela’s third month-long trip to Sicily. This section unfolds chronologically and adheres to a single timeline. Tembi is still grieving, but she is learning to navigate her pain and starting to think about what the future may hold for her. Locals now accept Tembi as one of their own, strengthening her sense of belonging and connection to Saro’s birthplace. Tembi’s parents come to visit, bringing together her two families, two worlds, and two homes. The book ends with a series of recipes passed down from Saro and Croce.