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sandiet's review
4.0
Wordsmith...a skilled user of words.
Tembi Locke is a wordsmith. A debut novel, her memoir, her story about meeting the love of her life Saro in Florence while attending school is in my opinion a beautifully written book. This book is about love, loving someone and standing up for that someone even when families don't approve (Tembi is an African American, her husband was from Sicily), caring for someone who is terminally ill, dealing with their death and trying to find yourself on the other side of the grief. Their story even though it's tragic is also heartwarming. It takes Saro's illness to bring the family back together and the curative natures of food and family are inspiring.
It's hard to imagine calling a book dealing with the death of a loved one uplifting but that's how I felt reading this memoir. My bookclub friends know how I just love memoirs...NOT, but for some reason I felt compelled to read it after seeing it as Reese Witherspoon's bookclub pick. Saro was a chef and there are some interesting recipes at the back of the book, so I'll be trying my hand with a recipe or two.
I highly recommend this book and I do hope that Ms. Locke writes another book because memoir or not I found this book engaging.
Tembi Locke is a wordsmith. A debut novel, her memoir, her story about meeting the love of her life Saro in Florence while attending school is in my opinion a beautifully written book. This book is about love, loving someone and standing up for that someone even when families don't approve (Tembi is an African American, her husband was from Sicily), caring for someone who is terminally ill, dealing with their death and trying to find yourself on the other side of the grief. Their story even though it's tragic is also heartwarming. It takes Saro's illness to bring the family back together and the curative natures of food and family are inspiring.
It's hard to imagine calling a book dealing with the death of a loved one uplifting but that's how I felt reading this memoir. My bookclub friends know how I just love memoirs...NOT, but for some reason I felt compelled to read it after seeing it as Reese Witherspoon's bookclub pick. Saro was a chef and there are some interesting recipes at the back of the book, so I'll be trying my hand with a recipe or two.
I highly recommend this book and I do hope that Ms. Locke writes another book because memoir or not I found this book engaging.
stripe217's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
5.0
wintermote's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
The book was fine—the passages about her husband’s death was so painful to read. So emotional.
themartinmama's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
Bittersweet memoir of love and loss.
annie_g_scott's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
I love the way the author wove the story together, joining past and present. I enjoyed her writing style and the depictions of Sicily, and her honest recounting of a hard-fought love and the value of family and home.