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arcoirisdesign's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
Book Summary
Grief. Loss. And finding your way after that happens.
Saro has cancer and dies. And Tembi is devastated. She has to find a way to move on after that happens. For her adopted daughter. For herself.
Finding a way to connect with family, when they don’t necessarily want to. Finding a way to get past each other’s differences to become good people. Finding your place in the world, even in the oddest places.
How I Discovered It
Reese Witherspoon’s publishing company
Who Should Read It
Anyone who loves food. Anyone who has dealt with grief, but has the space to not be too deep in it.
Thoughts & Impressions
I LOVE the way it’s written. I also love all the stories of food. The unstructured structure was great. It makes me want to write my book that way in the future. I also didn’t realize that it’s a memoir.
What I Liked About It
Writing style. Parts about food. Long descriptive paragraphs about sadness, grief and getting through it.
What I Didn’t Like About It
That Saro died. The story itself was sad—but in a beautiful way.
How the Book Changed Me
I have found another person who has felt the depth of sadness that I feel through my own experiences. It’s comforting in a weird way.
thechanelmuse's review against another edition
4.0
“Pain is part of life. That much I knew. If I could just teach her how to be resilient, how to love big, how to fear less. How to weather hurt, either at the hands of others or even the hurts she might unknowingly inflict on herself. I wanted her to know that love can come in many forms. That sometimes it can look like letting go, but it can also look like never letting go. That one day she might have to love someone in ways the world wasn’t ready for. That reaching for that kind of love would bring with it struggle, but in the end, it could be grander than her wildest imaginings.”
This is a tender, beautifully written travel memoir/meditation on love, loss, resilience and cultures by Black American actress Tembi Locke, who goes through the stages of healing, trying to make sense of life in the aftermath of her Sicilian husband’s (Saro Gullo) demise. Part one gripped me by the heartstrings so tightly. The rest of the book jumps around a bit and I actually like how intentional it is because, after all, that’s what happens during grief — a rollercoaster of emotions and reflection until you gain your footing.
This is a tender, beautifully written travel memoir/meditation on love, loss, resilience and cultures by Black American actress Tembi Locke, who goes through the stages of healing, trying to make sense of life in the aftermath of her Sicilian husband’s (Saro Gullo) demise. Part one gripped me by the heartstrings so tightly. The rest of the book jumps around a bit and I actually like how intentional it is because, after all, that’s what happens during grief — a rollercoaster of emotions and reflection until you gain your footing.
cassiebartelme's review
3.25
A love letter to Italy, to cooking and to family. Heartbreaking and life affirming.
sandiet's review against another edition
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
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
5.0
wintermote's review
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
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
3.5
Bittersweet memoir of love and loss.