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Reviews tagging 'Cancer'
From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke
41 reviews
heatherdanskin's review against another edition
3.5
Graphic: Cancer and Grief
engelkat's review against another edition
3.75
Minor: Death of parent, Cancer, Death, and Racism
mishawn's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Death of parent
Moderate: Racism
Minor: Cancer
fatkidatheartreads's review
4.0
May we all get to experience at least one big love..at least once in our lives! What a touching story of love, loss and grief.
I'm definitely adding the Netflix adaption to my watchlist.
Graphic: Death, Cancer, and Grief
deebee223's review against another edition
2.5
Graphic: Cancer and Grief
Moderate: Chronic illness, Death, Racism, Death of parent, and Terminal illness
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Slavery
biancabuysbooks's review against another edition
4.0
Graphic: Cancer, Death, and Grief
katiejohns's review against another edition
Graphic: Death and Cancer
styleandsavings's review against another edition
4.0
Moderate: Death, Grief, and Cancer
kelly_e's review against another edition
5.0
Author: Tembi Locke
Genre: Memoir
Rating: 5.0
Pub Date: April 30, 2019
T H R E E β’ W O R D S
Sincere β’ Luminous β’ Rich
π S Y N O P S I S
It was love at first sight for Tembi and Saro when they first met on a street in Florence. Undeterred by the lack of support from Saro's traditional Sicilian family, they decide to marry and build a beautiful life in LA with their adopted daughter, Zoela. Reconciliation with Saro's family comes when he is faced with a cancer diagnosis. Tembi Locke's memoir tells the story of three summers spent in Sicily with her daughter, as she attempts to put together a life without her husband in the Sicilian countryside, while reflecting on their beautiful romance.
π T H O U G H T S
From Scratch is a book filled with love and loss, of acceptance and belonging, of family and food, and of hope and healing,. The writing was simply beautiful and compelling, with the author's narration transported me to Sicily. The lush descriptions of the Sicilian countryside, and the scrumptious food added a whole extra dimension to this memoir. What I loved most about this book was the power of food, and of forgiveness. Each and every person in this book was endeared to me, especially Tembi, as I could relate to her experience of partner loss. Her daughter Zoela also provided an innocent look into grief in childhood. I laughed, I cried, and I held out hope for reconciliation. From Scratch is a portrait of how family and community bond together to support one another through the darkest moments, and I absolutely loved it!
I highly recommend the immersive and transportive experience of reading both the physical and audio books simultaneously. To me this was the perfect memoir, packed with food, emotion, and the universal experience of grief. And I cannot wait to test out some of the recipes included!
π R E C O M M E N D β’ T O
β’ book lovers
β’ memoir readers
β’ anyone who has lost a partner
β’ foodies
π F A V O U R I T E β’ Q U O T E S
"And there somewhere between the fallen Icarus and Hera, I started to feel a duality that was becoming familiar in my grief. Part of me was exalted by getting to experience this place again many years later another part of me suddenly wanted to plunge myself into the sea. Grief did that still and often: it left me to wrestle with two contradictory feelings at once. In that moment, I felt a little like another character from mythology, Sisyphus, forever pushing his boulder uphill. My boulder was loss. And life after loss could be a repetitive loop of heavy lifting, pushing, and struggling to move to higher ground even while enjoying a view of the sea."
"I was beginning to understand that the last marriage with Saro would ultimately be our longest. He was no more gone from my life than the moon is gone from the sky in daylight. He was everywhere, yet unseen. Learning to exist in that kind of love would take time. Time is maybe the most critical aspect of loss."
"My heart will never forget while I carry this life forward."
Graphic: Cancer, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Medical content, Terminal illness, Death of parent, and Infertility
Minor: Racism
death of partner, adoptionbookwormjimmy's review against another edition
4.25
This was a beautiful, inspiring read that's more than the trope of finding oneself in the hills of Italy through prayer, eating, and falling in love. No, it's more than that. From the moment Tembi sat down at Saro's restaurant and was treated to a symphony of dishes that's practically the epitome of their falling in love, I was hooked. I wanted to see them succeed and live a happy life, even though from the first few pages you know full well the conclusion of Saro's story. Locke weaves a narrative that's an outpouring of her grief, yet still offers a glimmer of optimism to what the future holds for her and their daughter Zoela.
A beautiful story that's worth reading. Definitely recommend!
Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent