Is From Scratch based on a true story? (Is From Scratch based on a book?)

In From Scratch, Netflix tells the beautiful love story of Amy and Lino, an American artist and a Sicilian chef who meet as if by fate during a chance encounter. What follows after that unexpected encounter is a whirlwind romance filled with lightheartedness and moments of humor that exist alongside the more serious ones.

While the love story of Amy and Lino might seem too good to be true, their romance is in fact based on a true story — one which was told in a book. Yes, the show is not only based on a true story but it’s also inspired by a book.

Although Netflix does take some creative liberties with how it tells the story, it’s very much inspired by the events that unfolded in real life though which were told in a 2019 memoir from Tembi Locke.

Warning: Spoilers ahead. 

What book is From Scratch based on?

Netflix’s newest original limited series From Scratch is inspired by the memoir From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke released in 2019.

In the book, readers follow the sweeping love story of Locke and her late husband Saro, a professional chef she met while on a street in Florence. Much like in the series, the book tells the story of the couple as they build a life together in Los Angeles which entails chasing their dream careers, building lasting friendships and beginning a family with the adoption of their daughter.

Like in the show, the couple’s life is turned upside down by Saro’s cancer diagnosis and the fight with the disease that consumes their life and ultimately results in Saro’s passing.

Unlike in the show, the book chronicles three summers Tembi spends in Sicily with her daughter as she begins to piece together a life without her husband in his tiny hometown. While viewers do get to see a portion of this story play out in the final episode of the series, the book which inspired the series takes a deeper dive into the connections Tembi builds with Saro’s family following his passing in looking at how she discovers the healing gifts of simple fresh food, the embrace of a close-knit community, and timeless traditions and wisdom that light a path forward.

If you enjoyed the series, we highly recommend picking up a copy of From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home which is available on Amazon and other retailers.

From Scratch is streaming now on Netflix.