Hello Meltingpot Readers,
The moment you’ve all been waiting for is finally here. I am so pleased to announce that the inaugural selection for the My American Meltingpot book club is the just released, From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily and Finding Home by Tembi Locke.
When I decided to launch a book club, I knew the books I selected to read had to be written by ethnically diverse authors, and the stories had to explore cross cultural relationships in some way. From Scratch meets that basic criteria and so much more. From Scratch is heartbreaking, yet ultimately uplifting. The story itself is wholly original, yet completely universal. Locke’s writing is accessible, yet filled with passion and evocative detail. And…there’s a lot of delectable food described on these pages, so much so, I guarantee you will be making reservations at your favorite Italian restaurant upon completion of every chapter.
Life, Death, Food+ Family
So, what is From Scratch about? It’s about Locke’s epic romance with her Italian husband, Saro, whom she met while studying abroad in college. As a Black, American woman, she wasn’t exactly welcomed into her husband’s family, but that didn’t put a dent in their relationship. They married, had a child, but then cancer takes Saro’s life. The thing is, From Scratch isn’t so much about Saro’s death, as it is about Locke coming back to life.
From the publisher: “In Sicily, it is said that every story begins with a marriage or a death—in Tembi Locke’s case, it is both. Her story is about loss, but it’s really about love found. Her story is about travel, but it’s really about finding a home. It is about food, but it’s really about chasing flavor as an act of remembrance. From Scratch is for anyone who has dared to reach for big love, fought for what mattered most, and needed a powerful reminder that life is…delicious.”
Join the Club!
I hope you enjoy From Scratch as much as I did. I can’t wait to talk about it with our book club community on May 19 when we have a virtual meet-up on Facebook. Tembi Locke will also be a guest on the My American Meltingpot podcast in early June.
If you want to take part in our book club discussions (and I sure hope you do), please join us in the closed My American Meltingpot Community Facebook group. Just click on this link and follow the prompts.
Happy Reading!
Peace!
LT
