Recomeços

by Tembi Locke

Na Sicília, todas as histórias começam com um casamento ou com uma morte. No caso de Tembi Locke, foram ambos. Quando Tembi conheceu Saro, um chef de cozinha, numa rua de Florença, foi amor à primeira vista. Mas a tradicional família siciliana não aceitava o seu casamento com uma mulher negra, norte-americana e atriz. Embora dececionados, não desistem do seu amor e constroem uma vida feliz em Los Angeles. Quando finalmente se reconciliam com a família italiana, ele enfrenta a maior prova da sua vida: um cancro, que arruína todos os sonhos do casal.

Ao longo de três verões no interior da Sicília, Tembi tenta reconstruir a sua vida. Lá, encontra apoio na sogra e descobre os poderes da comida simples, de uma comunidade unida e de tradições ancestrais. Ao longo dessa jornada, reflete sobre o romance que mudou a sua vida - uma história de amor que vai muito além do tempo que passaram juntos.

Recomeços é uma história sobre amor e perda, lar e família. Este livro fala de partidas, mas também de recomeços, repleto de pratos deliciosos em que a comida é sabor, recordação e fonte de alegria.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Book Club, Romance, Italy, Travel

328 pages, Paperback

First published April 30, 2019

About the author

Tembi Locke is a New York Times best-selling author, TV producer, actor, and screenwriter with a passion for connecting with her audience both on the page and on the screen. In partnership with Hello Sunshine, Tembi served as co-creator and executive producer for the adaptation of her memoir, "From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home," for Netflix. The series, "From Scratch," became an instant global hit, spending weeks on Netflix's Top Ten List in over thirty countries around the world and earning six NAACP Image Award nominations and the prestigious Los Angeles Film Italy award. Her aforementioned memoir was also a Reese's Book Club pick and an instant bestseller. Tembi and her producing partner and sister, Attica Locke, are currently under an overall development deal with Universal Television

In addition to her accomplishments as a writer and producer, Tembi is an accomplished actor with over sixty film and television credits. She most recently held a recurring role on Netflix's hit show, "Never Have I Ever." Offscreen, she is a nationally recognized speaker, delivering keynotes on resilience, loss, creativity and the power of storytelling. Her TEDx talk has been viewed by individuals and nonprofits around the world. She launched her podcast, "Lifted," which features dynamic women sharing their stories of what and who have lifted their lives. Through her work Tembi aims to inspire people to embrace resilience, love, and the power of community.

Reviews

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that made me appreciate my husband more ❤️ She shares the story of her love very well. It’s just a very sad story.

[SimitudeSims · Rating 4 out of 5]

My actual stars would be much lower but I feel it's unfair to judge a book just because it's a type of book I dislike. It was beautifully written and full of description that makes you want to be there. The issue is that I don't read books to make myself sad. There is enough sadness in the world without choosing to immerse yourself in it. Others love these books and I didn't want my taste to taint the rating of a beautiful book.

[Brandice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not even a month into the new year and I’m confident this will be one of my favorite reads of 2021. In From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home, Tembi Locke shares her love story, which began when she bumped into Sicilian chef, Saro, while she was living and studying in Florence.

Saro’s family doesn’t approve of him marrying a Black American woman but this doesn’t stop the couple, including a wedding in Sicily with Tembi’s Texan family in attendance. Tembi and Saro build their life together, living in LA, where she is an actress, he a chef, and together raising their daughter, Zoela.

The couple is able to reconcile with Saro’s family though I couldn’t help but feel negatively toward the them for a good portion of the book, for opting out of time together — What a privilege to be able to see your children happy. Ultimately, Saro faces multiple battles with cancer and passes away.

From Scratch chronicles not only Tembi’s love story, but her journey of grief over the course of 3 summers spent in Sicily visiting her mother in law. Tembi finds solace through food, family, and community.

”I wanted to know what will become of the people, places, and things that have meant something to me. I wanted to learn something new from someone I have yet to meet. And I wanted to be able to know that I could see unspeakable pain and know that it, too, would change me but not undo me. I wanted to journey to beyond where my eye can see and greet the self who carried me forward to get there.”

Tembi is a wonderful writer with beautiful words — I loved reading this story.

[JAK · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this, to connect with someone else who has felt grief, but it fell incredibly flat. The way it was written, I wasn't able to connect with the characters, and there was no plot. It was simply a sad woman who ate pasta. I expected to follow their love story and then feel the loss, grieving alongside Tembi, but it never happened.

[Erika Robuck · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the shores of California to an island in the Mediterranean, FROM SCRATCH is a rich, sensual reading experience. Equal parts uplifting and devastating, it is a memoir of soul-searching beauty. As extraordinary and unique as Tembi Locke's life is, all readers will identify with the themes of love, family, and forgiveness. Highly recommended.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful writing and narration by the author. I visited Sicily in May 2019 and the author's descriptions brought it all flooding back. Sicily has everything, beautiful vistas, gorgeous beaches, amazing architecture, delicious food & wine, & wonderful characters! As I listened, I scribbled quotes on various scraps of paper, such as junk mail envelopes. I wrote on anything I had to hand when I heard something that twanged my heart strings. However, I appear to have mislaid most of them around my home. So, here is one of the quotes that so moved me:
"it was clear that being with Saro had been like weaving a beautiful complicated tapestry. After his death, being with his family was like looking at the flip side of that tapestry, the stitching showed, the bulky knots, the places where the fringe had frayed but it was still part of the same beautiful piece."
9/26/19 Found another quote: "He was kryptonite sprinkled on a pizza, my personal weakness."

[Lindsay L · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This memoir shares the cross-cultural love story between an actress and a chef. The couple had to fight for their love as the chef’s traditional Sicilian family did not approve of him marrying a black American woman actress.

I listened to this on audio which was narrated by the author herself. Hearing her story through her own voice made this book more impactful for me and I am glad I listened to it rather than read it.

While I enjoyed this and appreciated learning of this couples story, I failed to fully connect. I did shed a few tears along the way, but I wasn’t as greatly impacted by the story as I had anticipated. I think part of this is due to the fact that I’m not one who enjoys cooking (although I LOVE eating!) and this book is largely centred around ingredients and cooking. The chef’s family shows their love through cooking and often has deep conversations through food where words are not necessary.

Overall, an interesting and enjoyable audiobook that I am glad I listened to. Thank you to my lovely local library for the audio loan!

Audio rating: 5 stars! The author narrating this book added a personal and emotional layer to this beautiful story!

[Taylor · Rating 2 out of 5]

What I thought this book was going to be about and what it actually was about were two entirely different things. I was expecting more of a culinary, upbeat, overcoming loss memoir. What it read as was a grieving, never ending, jilted story of a wife losing her husband (which I knew was a core part of the synopsis). I felt everything else was an afterthought. There were parts I couldn't wait to be over because she went on and on and on in a way that I couldn't empathize or connect with. Her writing style came across as her trying way too hard to write lyrically, and it didn't feel right to me. Personal preference perhaps. The time hops didn't make sense to me either. I would have much preferred a chronologically written memoir so I could invest in the family and their relationships. Instead I never connected and honestly couldn't wait for it to be over.

[Just A Girl With Spirit · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ stars ✨

How do I begin to write a review to do this beautiful book justice? I feel like I’ve gotten an education on Sicilian culture, cuisine, and a front row seat in Tembi’s experience of losing the love of her life. My heart is full, and aching with how real the fragility of life is, and how we should cherish every moment with our spouses and loved ones. To actually live life and do things instead of being absorbed in our phones.

My goodness, the food!! I want to cook and smell and experience all the scents, tastes and the sights that were described. I love every part of this book from front to back. I love how we started with a family that was closed off to outsiders (Tembi being an African American women), to a blended family woven together in a fabric so rich, vibrant and beautiful—stitched together with pain and loss. This is easily one of my fave books of 2021, and I know I’m jumping on late to the game, but better late than never.

I loved the audio as it was done by Tembi Locke, the author and who this story was about. I appreciate her realness, openness and her voice that rang strong and true all throughout the story. What a breathtaking book! I will cherish my hardback forever. I love this interracial/multicultural romance x1,000! Sicily and America forever ♾

[Karen J · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Such an incredible powerful story, I was completely intrigued right from the first page. My first book I have read by Tembi Locke, I’m looking forward to reading more books by this author.

[Lisa (NY) · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4+] Loss is threaded throughout this beautifully written memoir. While studying in Italy, the author, a Black American, fell in love with her Sicilian future husband, who later dies. So it is very sad - but I also found it infused with warmth and love and delicious food. I was captivated by the stories about how Tembi met Saro and about their daughter. I especially loved how she forged a bond with her mother-in-law and connected with her husband's Sicilian heritage.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably would have given this book 2 stars, except that the writing really is beautiful. It just wasn't what I expected. This is a memoir about loss, period. If that's what you're here for, then you will likely get a lot out of it, but it wasn't what I was hoping for at this particular moment in my life.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

After seeing the series based on this book about a young American woman who falls for a Sicilian man while studying abroad I decided to read it. There was more detail in the book and authentic recipes are included at the back. It is like life, at times very sad and I had to stop reading at times while grieving a personal loss.

[Jude (HeyJudeReads) Fricano · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to love this book. Sicily, food, culture, family, love .. but unfortunately I did not. The story was too drawn out, too much forced drama. There were parts that made me smile, other parts I rolled my eyes. I wish I loved it. I just didn’t feel it.

[Antoinette · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars.

I will say right off that I am not a memoir person. I was drawn to this one primarily because of the location, Sicily, and well food was in the title.I love reading about food from different regions. I knew it would be about love and loss as well, but I didn’t realize that that would be such a large portion of this story.
This book is about Tembi and Saro’s love and their struggles once he was diagnosed with cancer. His death was heartbreaking to Tembi and their daughter, Zoela. How does one cope with the loss of the love of your life? How were Tembi and her daughter able to move forward? This is what this memoir explores.
What I loved most in the book was getting to know Saro’s mother. She was so much like my own mother, that it brought joy to my heart. My mother was from Southern Italy- Ischia, an island off the coast of Naples. Like Saro’s mother, she never drank, she never wore pants, she always had new nightgowns ready in case she ever had to go to the hospital. She loved to cook and feed people:)
One more similarity: Saro’s Mom , like mine believed that a pregnant woman should never say no to a craving, most especially if the food is right there. If you say no, then touch an area of your body, your child will be born with a birthmark.. Saro had a darker area on one of his buttocks and his Mom blamed it on the fact that she turned down a coffee while she was pregnant with him.
Then she leaned on that side of her body and he got a birthmark. When I was pregnant with my first child, I went to visit my Mom. I gained 7 lbs in 2 weeks, as she made me eat everything that I saw that I said something positive about. Loved that connection.

Another tidbit- my husband and I ate at the restaurant , Aqua al Duo, where Saro was the chef. We were there after he left but I loved the connection.

I feel that the book started really strong and ended well, but it was quite repetitive and inflated through the middle.
I listened to this on audio and the author, who is an actress, did a great job with the reading.

“ The wound of loss would be the scar of love.”

Published: 2019

[Susan Meissner · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a beautiful tribute to love in all its forms, even the love you still feel when you are mourning. That love is its own kind of love, as true, as powerful, as life-shaping as the kind you'd easily been able to express before everything changed. I loved especially these lines on p. 176. "...throughout life, we revisit the empty spaces. That was her understanding of grief. That we are always trying to reconcile memory with reality..." This is what it means to grieve; to cherish still every memory within this new, raw and uncharted reality. Tembi's memoir is perfectly structured, exquisitely rendered, achingly beautiful...

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am sure writing this book was cathartic for Ms. Locke. At least I hope it was. For me, I felt like I spent a book reading about her complaining about things that only someone with privilege could complain about. Yes, there were some racial issues and I am not diminishing the difficulties in losing a spouse; however, when someone spends pages explaining how gorgeous it is while they are able to spend summers mourning their husband’s passing in Sicily, those issues seem a bit less pressing. So, just not the book for me.

[Moonkiszt · Rating 4 out of 5]

From Scratch: a Memoir. . . .

This was an assignment from Reese W and Hello, Sunshine! Good thing, too, because this is not one I would have picked up and read, given my own choosing algorithms. But this was an interesting story, with all the happy accidents that result in real living (as opposed to fictionally contrived situations to fit plot points), full of crazy coincidences for which we make up plots, intervening characters engaged in divine and/or devilish interferences, with promises of happy endings, or dire dooms.

More than anything this put me in a contemplative mood – thinking semi-dark thoughts wrapped in various themes of “all beginnings have an end.” George Carlin once said “It’s inevitable when you buy the pet. You’re supposed to know it in the pet shop. It’s going to end badly. You are purchasing a small tragedy.” That’s got to be true about every one of our relationships, from the most precious to the ones about which we are most indifferent. So . . . .is the business of life the educating all of us about transitions and reconciling ourselves to being in the moment, and then just as wholly, moving on? Moving on with history that is not allowed to overwhelm or overlimit? So difficult to box up meanings, but beyond the telling of a love/life story, this is my take-away from Ms. Locke’s book.

Still pondering on it, and have picked up a few more books with similar themes. . . .maybe my algorithms need tweaking. Or not.

Lovely writing – about her travels, family dynamics and how wacky those can be, the many forgivenesses time helps with in that area, and lots and lots of Sicilian cooking, tastes and pleasures. 3.5 stars from me.

[Leanne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Misleading synopsis led me to this memoir. If you are looking for a cross cultural love story, keep looking. The poor guy who met and married the author is little more than a footnote for this 300+ page whinefest.

There was enough information about Italy and the hapless husband to keep me reading, hoping for the story of their interracial, intercultural marriage but it never appears. Instead, we get ringside seats for a middle aged woman who deals with the loss of a loved one like a teenager. And I forgave that, because we all grieve differently.

But then page after page the narrative repeats the same pattern:

any character: something about their life or feelings

author: "that's interesting. I know because MY feelings are similar"

and we're off for 4 pages of more self absorbed whining.

The world continued turning as the author grieved, but she seems really annoyed that happened. We learn almost nothing about the years of her marriage, the life or death of her father in law, their life after their daughter joined the family, or anything else that isn't about the author, the author's feelings, how inconvenienced the author was by having to care for other people, and how upset the author was by being widowed because somehow she never seemed to notice it had ever happened to anyone else.

I got more and more annoyed as I read and the tone escalated to new highs of self absorbed cluelessness; having to deal with some really awkward and unclear writing just finished me off.

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story she had to tell was compelling but it was overwritten. It seemed like her prose was trying too hard.

[Rincey · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Watch my review: https://youtu.be/taS9WPMO7Qo

[Jodie (That Happy Reader) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The love story of Tembi and Saro is one of passion, commitment, and everlasting love. Not since Paul Kalanithi’s “When Breath Becomes Air” have I been so moved by a book.. Tembi Locke conveys passion and sincerity which is deeply felt on each and every page. It is articulate, vulnerable and full of symbolism. I could not put this book down and highly recommend it.

Please note: I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for a fair review which I have provided here.

[Sylvia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. I think that Reese and I do not have the same taste. This is the second of her book club picks that I felt was just ok. Parts of this were wonderful, beautifully written, moved me to tears. But large sections were slow and a little too sentimental. There were meant times I was counting the pages to see when it would end. I intimately know grief and I’ve read other books that fully embrace the experience and strongly echoed my experience. This was not that book.

[Jennifer (Jaye) · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Love & Life*

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, reading and listening to it. Tembi’s narration was excellent. I’m a huge fan of Italy, particularly its food, history and language.

The book explores the relationship between Sado, an Italian chef from Sicily, and Tembi, a black American actress. It’s divided into sections detailing their meeting, life together and their life apart, not by choice.

Life wasn’t always easy, especially for Tembi. His family held strong principles that clashed with her thought process. When Sado and Tembi were getting married. his father made the decision for the entire household, refusing to allow anyone to attend the wedding. Tembi fought tirelessly to change their minds, but her family adored Sado.

The story also covers Tembi and Sado’s journey as parents and Sado’s declining health.

Finally, we see Tembi and her daughter struggling to live without Sado.

The book is raw in parts, and while there are some time jumps, I didn’t mind. The food descriptions are mouthwatering, and the book includes some recipes.

I’m eagerly looking forward to the Netflix limited series starring Zoe Saldaña as Tembi.

[Martie Nees Record · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pub. Date: April 30, 2019

I usually feel apprehensive when beginning a memoir. There are hundreds of memoirs written, usually ghostwritten, often from those in the entertainment business. Tembi Locke is an actress and I wondered if I was in for a poorly written, vanity book. From the first sentence, I knew this was not going to be the case. “In Sicily, every story begins with a marriage or a death.” I was already hooked.

The author is an African American from Texas. Besides being a mom and an actress, she is also an activist. She meets her future Sicilian husband, Saro when she is in college and doing a semester in Italy. He is a chef who was born, lives, and works in a part of the world that holds onto their traditions with a firm grasp. Even though the couple has their wedding reception in Italy, his parents do not attend. His father has forbidden anyone in his family from attending because his son is marrying a black, non-catholic woman. Her parents gladly attended, arriving in full Texan gear while dancing the Harlem Shuffle at the reception. The author gives you enough information to make you wonder, how could this bi-racial, cross-cultural couple make it? Yet, “He soothed the places I hadn't known needed soothing… Together we had engaged life as two forks eating off one plate.” Tembi writes as if her marriage was a great love affair. “Our undoing was cancer…Pain is part of life. That much I knew.” However, she makes it clear that nothing could prepare her for the years of caretaking and the crippling grief once Saro dies from the disease. The entire book might have been an exercise in catharsis. If so, she made it work.

When Tembi returns to Sicily to bury Saro’s ashes, she develops a new bond with her mother-in-law through the Sicilian food they prepare in Saro’s parents’ tiny kitchen. She writes, “Cooking is about surrender.” In the tradition of “Like Water For Chocolate,” “Scratch” is a recipe book and love story that is told through cooking a meal. Tembi and her daughter come to spend their summers in Sicily and she embraces the slow-paced lifestyle. One of her favorite chores is after a meal, joining the other village women to shake out their tablecloths—in the middle of the road—so not to attract ants into their home. The author comes to know and understand her late husband’s family. Okay, there are some “Godfather” jokes, but in the end, a Sicilian neighbor, who does not understand a syllable of English, tells her family that their daughter, Tembi, “is one of us.” As Tembi says, “Sicily was the water and sun that fortified me to stand stronger in my life after loss.”

Locke’s memoir immediately reveals to the reader that she is a powerful storyteller. She fills her book with sensory experiences of Sicily. “The hot air was pregnant with jasmine and eucalyptus.” Although the lyrical prose is glorious, I sometimes found that the vivid imagery throughout the memoir took over her story. I would have enjoyed reading less poetry on the wonders of Sicily (to be fair she also educates her readers on its history) and learned more about the details of her married life in America, which seems to have been skipped over. I’m guessing this was done on purpose since the author’s tale is really about the salve that she found in Sicily. Also, sometimes, the connection between food and kitchen wisdom was a bit too overplayed. But, who am I to contradict her memories and healing process? I devoured this book. Once finished, I could not wait to celebrate life by going into my own kitchen to boil water for pasta. The author’s soul-searching words make for a heartfelt memoir that is part devastating, part uplifting, and always a beautiful tribute to life and love.

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[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She had said so many things, things that were hard to hear, harder still to push through. Things the therapist and books all said were very normal. When those moments happened, when the grief was too big and it threatened to buckle the frame of the house, we'd often go to the back yard of our house and lie on the grass, put our bodies prostrate on the earth. On the blanket looking at the stars, I would tell her to give her hurt to the stars. They could take it. I told her she could say anything to them. She could cry, she could scream, she could curse, anything she felt. She often said only one thing: "Babbo, you should not have left me.”

I have unintentionallly put myself through the emotional ringer this month reading so many back to back books regarding death and grief, but it has turned out to be an incredibly cathartic experience for me. When I read the above passage from Tembi Locke’s emotional memoir, it immediately brought tears to my eyes because it is something that I think is always on your lips when you lose a parent... whether you are coping as a 7 year old daughter or a daughter who is 42... we think “you should not have left me." We want our loved ones to always be with us, and no matter how old we are, it always seems incomprehensible and unbearable when it comes time to have to say goodbye.

From Scratch is the heartbreakingly, gorgeous debut that Reese Witherspoon selected as her May read for her Hello Sunshine Book Club pick. It is a meditation on love, family, loss, and navigating overwhelming grief. It is an honest testament of what is is like to care for someone with a terminal illness, and highlights the struggle of adjusting to becoming a family of 2 instead of 3.

And then there’s the food. I LOVED how food was infused all through out this story. Here in the South, food is definitely a love language and I related so much to the scenes where Tembi and her in-laws come together and find comfort and connection in the kitchen. But most of all, this book is a love letter to those we cherish and who leave us too soon. All the stars.

[Traci Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the idea of this memoir but it was way too long for me. The balance was off for me, too much description and not enough reflection. I liked it, but wasn't ever able to really fall into it deeply. I felt Locke was keeping us a bit at arms length.

[Howard · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars for From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Loss, Food and Finding Home in the Sicilian Countryside by Tembi Locke read by the author.

This is such a wonderful story of two people from distant lands coming together to create a family. And then she tells a very touching tribute to her deceased husband. After that, the author picks up the pieces of her life and finds a way to work in Hollywood and still be connected with her new family in Sicily.

[Isa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written testament of accepting life with all that life has to give, of love .....love for another human being, love for parents, love for children and love for one's origins and birth place....

[Mikala Hill · Rating 2 out of 5]

In all fairness, I am not the "memoir" type. But I was rooting for this one. It started off strong...and then drug on until the end. Bummer.