A POIGNANT AND TRANSFORMATIVE CROSS-CULTURAL LOVE STORY SET AGAINST THE LUSH BACKDROP OF THE SICILIAN COUNTRYSIDE, ABOUT HOW ONE WOMAN DISCOVERED THE HEALING POWERS OF FOOD, FAMILY AND UNEXPECTED GRACE IN HER DARKEST HOUR.

It was love at first sight when Tembi met professional chef Saro on a street in Florence, Italy.  But right from the start, the young lovers face a series of threats to their happily ever after.  Chief among them, Saro’s traditional Sicilian family disapproves of his marrying a black American woman. Heartbroken, but fueled by love, the couple forges on in the face of this estrangement, building a happy life in Los Angeles with fulfilling careers, deep friendships, and adopting a baby girl.  Until they face their greatest threat, one that will upend everything they thought they knew about family and forgiveness.

 In the wake of crises and grief, Tembi seeks solace and strength in the Sicilian countryside, her husband’s homeland. There she finds grace and nourishment—literally and spiritually—at her mother-in-law’s table.  And with the healing gifts of simple fresh food, the embrace of a close-knit community, and the power of enduring love, she finds the strength to step into a new life.   

Luminous, lyrical and complete with 16 recipes drawn from the couple’s culinary adventures, From Scratch is for anyone who has dared to reach for big love, fought for what mattered most, and needed a poignant reminder that life is, after all, delicious. 

“An utterly incandescent love story… You will be forever changed for having turned these pages.” — Claire Bidwell, author of Anxiety: The Missing Stage of Grief

“From Scratch is a heartbreaking, but reassuring memoir of forgiveness. And Locke is a strong, joyful woman; a veteran actor who it turns out is a poet.” —Helen Ellis, bestselling author of American Housewife

“A marvelous memoir about taking chances, finding love, and building a home away from home. In From Scratch, Tembi Locke writes movingly about loss, grief, and the healing miracle of food.” —Laila Lalami, author of The Moor’s Account