Netflix series From Scratch has swept the nation recently, leavings thousands of people around the world in emotional turmoil after watching the heart wrenching love story – and it’s actually based off a true story.
The show, which premiered on October 21 and dethroned The Watcher as the streaming platform’s most-viewed title this week, is about an American student named Amy who falls in love with an Italian chef named Lino while she’s studying abroad in Florence.
After Lino decides to move to America to be with his new love, their relationship is quickly put to the test when his parents reveal that they don’t approve of the whirlwind romance.
People quickly got caught up in Lino and Amy’s adorable love story, but when he tragically died of cancer at the end of the show, many were left ‘weeping’ and ‘sobbing’ from the heartbreaking twist.
The Netflix series From Scratch has swept the nation recently – leavings thousands of people around the world in emotional turmoil after watching the heart wrenching love story
![The show is about an American student named Amy who falls in love with an Italian chef named Lino. Amy (named Tembi in real life) is seen in the show](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156107-11386063-The_show_is_about_an_American_student_named_Amy_who_falls_in_lov-a-72_1667491048574.jpg)
![The show is about an American student named Amy who falls in love with an Italian chef named Lino. Amy (named Tembi in real life) is seen in real life](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156073-11386063-The_show_is_about_an_American_student_named_Amy_who_falls_in_lov-a-73_1667491048576.jpg)
The show is about an American student named Amy who falls in love with an Italian chef named Lino. Amy (named Tembi in real life) is seen in the show (left) and in real life (right)
![The series is actually based off of a true story, as it came from a memoir written by Tembi Locke. She is seen with her late husband, who inspired the book and show, and their daughter](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156087-11386063-The_series_is_actually_based_off_of_a_true_story_as_it_came_from-a-74_1667491048580.jpg)
The series is actually based off of a true story, as it came from a memoir written by Tembi Locke. She is seen with her late husband, who inspired the book and show, and their daughter
![Viewers quickly got swept up in Lino (seen in the show) and Amy's adorable love story, but when he tragically died of cancer at the end of the series, many were left 'weeping' and 'sobbing' from the heartbreaking twist](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156879-11386063-Viewers_quickly_got_swept_up_in_Lino_seen_in_the_show_and_Amy_s_-a-75_1667491048583.jpg)
Viewers quickly got swept up in Lino (seen in the show) and Amy’s adorable love story, but when he tragically died of cancer at the end of the series, many were left ‘weeping’ and ‘sobbing’ from the heartbreaking twist
And it turns out, the devastating series is actually based off of a true story. That’s right, it was inspired by a memoir, called From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home, written by Tembi Locke.
The show, which starred Zoe Saldana, Eugenio Mastrandrea, Danielle Deadwyler, Judith Scott, Kellita Smith, and Luca Sardo, was created by Tembi and her sister, Attica Locke, who co-wrote the script and executive produced it alongside Reese Witherspoon.
Like Amy in the series, Tembi moved to Italy in 1990 to study abroad, where she met a man named Rosario ‘Saro’ Gullo.
And Tembi told the Today show that the series was so accurate in its depiction of the early stages of their relationship that she couldn’t even watch it because she was worried it would taint her real memories of Saro.
‘I didn’t watch the visuals because I want to maintain and protect my own memories. Suddenly you start to remember the thing that was made, and you forget the original images,’ she explained.
![Like Amy in the series, Tembi moved to Italy in 1990 to study abroad, where she met a man named Rosario 'Saro' Gullo. Tembi is seen in the early 2000s with her daughter](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156061-11386063-Like_Amy_in_the_series_Tembi_moved_to_Italy_in_1990_to_study_abr-a-76_1667491048584.jpg)
Like Amy in the series, Tembi moved to Italy in 1990 to study abroad, where she met a man named Rosario ‘Saro’ Gullo. Tembi is seen in the early 2000s with her daughter
![Tembi (seen on set of the show) told the Today show that the series was so accurate in its depiction of the early stages of their relationship that she couldn't even watch it](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156075-11386063-Tembi_seen_on_set_of_the_show_told_the_Today_show_that_the_serie-a-77_1667491048651.jpg)
Tembi (seen on set of the show) told the Today show that the series was so accurate in its depiction of the early stages of their relationship that she couldn’t even watch it
![She also told Shondaland.com that writing the memoir helped her re-fall in love with her husband, but also reignited the 'tremendous pain' she felt after his death](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156091-11386063-She_also_told_Shondaland_com_that_writing_the_memoir_helped_her_-a-78_1667491048657.jpg)
She also told Shondaland.com that writing the memoir helped her re-fall in love with her husband, but also reignited the ‘tremendous pain’ she felt after his death
She also told Shondaland.com that writing the memoir helped her re-fall in love with her husband, but also reignited the ‘tremendous pain’ she felt after his death.
‘It gave me joy to fall in love with my husband again in the writing of the book,’ she said.
![The show, which starred Zoe Saldana, Eugenio Mastrandrea, Danielle Deadwyler, Judith Scott, Kellita Smith, and Luca Sardo, was created by Tembi and her sister, Attica Locke, who co-wrote the script and executive produced it alongside Reese Witherspoon. Tembi and Attica are seen on set](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156041-11386063-The_show_which_starred_Zoe_Saldana_Eugenio_Mastrandrea_Danielle_-a-79_1667491048659.jpg)
The show, which starred Zoe Saldana, Eugenio Mastrandrea, Danielle Deadwyler, Judith Scott, Kellita Smith, and Luca Sardo, was created by Tembi and her sister, Attica Locke, who co-wrote the script and executive produced it alongside Reese Witherspoon. Tembi and Attica are seen on set
‘I had the tremendous pain of revisiting his death and his early years of illness. But I had supportive people around me. I had folks I would call after really harrowing writing days.’
She added of making the show: ‘It was too much. Shooting in Sicily was logistically difficult; it was difficult to be in places where we once walked together and had memories.’
Tembi, originally from Texas, said that it really was love at first sight for her and Saro, and that right away he knew they would be ‘something great.’
‘He had a vision of an us and greatness so effortlessly that it suddenly seemed as right as butter on bread. I was taken aback by his boldness, his certainty,’ she gushed to Today.
‘He soothed the places I hadn’t known needed soothing, seemed perfectly willing to embrace the parts of me that were wanton, unsettled, unfinished, and contradictory.
‘Together we had engaged life as two forks eating off one plate. Ready to listen, to love, to look into the darkness and see a thin filament of the moon.’
Just like in the show, the two eventually decided to move to Los Angeles, California, together, where Saro faced a slew of difficulties while getting used to living in a new country.
![Tembi, from Texas, said that it really was love at first sight for her and Saro, and that right away he knew they would be 'something great.' He is seen in the show](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156883-11386063-Tembi_from_Texas_said_that_it_really_was_love_at_first_sight_for-a-80_1667491048660.jpg)
![Tembi, from Texas, said that it really was love at first sight for her and Saro, and that right away he knew they would be 'something great.' He is seen in real life](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156049-11386063-Tembi_from_Texas_said_that_it_really_was_love_at_first_sight_for-a-81_1667491048665.jpg)
Tembi, from Texas, said that it really was love at first sight for her and Saro, and that right away he knew they would be ‘something great.’ He is seen in the show (left) and in real life (right)
![Just like in the show, the two eventually decided to move to Los Angeles, California, together, where Saro faced a slew of difficulties. Their characters are seen in the show](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156085-11386063-Just_like_in_the_show_the_two_eventually_decided_to_move_to_Los_-a-82_1667491048666.jpg)
Just like in the show, the two eventually decided to move to Los Angeles, California, together, where Saro faced a slew of difficulties. Their characters are seen in the show
![Their worlds were shaken when Saro got diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that started in the soft muscle tissue, called leiomyosarcoma. He is seen in real life with their daughter](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156067-11386063-Their_worlds_were_shaken_when_Saro_got_diagnosed_with_a_rare_for-a-83_1667491048731.jpg)
Their worlds were shaken when Saro got diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that started in the soft muscle tissue, called leiomyosarcoma. He is seen in real life with their daughter
![He was diagnosed with the disease in 2002, and he tragically died 10 years later. Together, the couple adopted a daughter named Zoela (pictured with Saro), from Africa, before his passing](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156065-11386063-He_was_diagnosed_with_the_disease_in_2002_and_he_tragically_died-a-84_1667491048738.jpg)
![He was diagnosed with the disease in 2002, and he tragically died 10 years later. Together, the couple adopted a daughter named Zoela (pictured with Saro), from Africa, before his passing](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156033-11386063-He_was_diagnosed_with_the_disease_in_2002_and_he_tragically_died-a-85_1667491048740.jpg)
He was diagnosed with the disease in 2002, and he tragically died 10 years later. Together, the couple adopted a daughter named Zoela (pictured with Saro), from Africa, before his passing
‘[The show is] about what it means to be a European immigrant in LA, which my husband was, and how it was a challenge,’ she dished to Shondaland.com.
‘It’s about what it means coming to a place for love and working to make it work, even when you don’t recognize a new place, a new country. His big issue was “Tembi, where do I get a good coffee? Starbucks? That’s not coffee.”’
Their worlds were shaken when Saro got diagnosed with a rare form of cancer that started in the soft muscle tissue, called leiomyosarcoma.
He was diagnosed with the disease in 2002, and he tragically died 10 years later. Together, the couple adopted a daughter named Zoela, from Africa, before his passing.
‘Zoela came to us during that time [when he was sick]. And I think one of the things that I learned is life is still happening all around us and for us, we’d always wanted to be parents,’ she told Today.
In the show, their daughter’s name is Idalia, which Tembi said Zoela picked out.
‘My daughter picked the name of Idalia, the character based on her. We had fun creating these alternate versions of us,’ she continued.
![In the series, their daughter's name is Idalia, which Zoela picked out. Tembi explained: 'We had fun creating these alternate versions of us.' Zoela and Saro's characters are seen in the show](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156155-11386063-In_the_series_their_daughter_s_name_is_Idalia_which_Zoela_picked-a-86_1667491048743.jpg)
In the series, their daughter’s name is Idalia, which Zoela picked out. Tembi explained: ‘We had fun creating these alternate versions of us.’ Zoela and Saro’s characters are seen in the show
![As for why they decided to change their names , Tembi (seen with executive producer Reese) said she wanted to create a 'psychic distance' between the real people and characters](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156051-11386063-As_for_why_they_decided_to_change_their_names_Tembi_seen_with_ex-a-88_1667491048751.jpg)
As for why they decided to change their names , Tembi (seen with executive producer Reese) said she wanted to create a ‘psychic distance’ between the real people and characters
![While chatting with Shondaland.com, Tembi reflected on some of the biggest lessons that Saro taught her - many of which still impact her today. She is seen on set of the show](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156035-11386063-While_chatting_with_Shondaland_com_Tembi_reflected_on_some_of_th-a-87_1667491048750.jpg)
While chatting with Shondaland.com, Tembi reflected on some of the biggest lessons that Saro taught her – many of which still impact her today. She is seen on set of the show
As for why they decided to change the names in the Netflix series, Tembi explained that she wanted to create a ‘psychic distance’ between the real figures and the characters.
She added: ‘I needed the space to allow the character to grow, to bend and to fictionalize things.’
!['He showed me the poetry of life. He taught me to slow down,' Tembi (pictured with Zoela recently) revealed. 'He taught me to love fully and deeply. 'My heart is bigger because of him'](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156043-11386063-_He_showed_me_the_poetry_of_life_He_taught_me_to_slow_down_Tembi-a-89_1667491048813.jpg)
‘He showed me the poetry of life. He taught me to slow down,’ Tembi (pictured with Zoela recently) revealed. ‘He taught me to love fully and deeply. ‘My heart is bigger because of him’
While chatting with Shondaland.com, Tembi reflected on some of the biggest lessons that Saro taught her – many of which still impact her today.
‘He showed me the poetry of life. As the son of a farmer, he taught me to slow down and see the beauty of an artichoke’s gradation of color, for example,’ she revealed.
‘He had a poeticism about him. To live with him for 20 years, it stayed with me. He taught me to love fully and deeply.
‘My heart is bigger because of him. He would always say, “Everything makes the soup,” an Italian saying that means basically that everything makes life.
‘We just have to go with it. Another one was: “You wanted the bicycle; now pedal.” It’s about wanting things in life, and you get what you ask for. Now ride.’
After Saro’s death, Tembi spent three summers in Sicily, which she said helped her deal with the immense grief she felt from losing Saro, explaining that being in the country gave her constant ‘reminders that she was still living’ and ‘that there was still life and abundance.’
![Tembi has since found love again with a man (seen) whose name she has yet to reveal. And despite them not supporting their relationship at first, she is now close with Saro's family](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156025-11386063-Tembi_has_since_found_love_again_with_a_man_seen_whose_name_she_-a-90_1667491048818.jpg)
Tembi has since found love again with a man (seen) whose name she has yet to reveal. And despite them not supporting their relationship at first, she is now close with Saro’s family
![The show premiered on October 21 and dethroned The Watcher as the streaming platform's most-viewed title this week. Zoe and Tembi are seen at the premiere](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156925-11386063-The_show_premiered_on_October_21_and_dethroned_The_Watcher_as_th-a-91_1667491048820.jpg)
![The show premiered on October 21 and dethroned The Watcher as the streaming platform's most-viewed title this week. Zoe and Tembi are seen at the premiere](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64156927-11386063-The_show_premiered_on_October_21_and_dethroned_The_Watcher_as_th-a-92_1667491048821.jpg)
The show premiered on October 21 and dethroned The Watcher as the streaming platform’s most-viewed title this week. Zoe and Tembi are seen at the premiere
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![After its premiere, many viewers took to Twitter to share their thoughts, with one admitting it left them an 'emotional wreck,' and another saying they had a 'deep, ugly cry' after watching it](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2022/11/03/15/64155999-11386063-After_its_premiere_many_viewers_took_to_Twitter_to_share_their_t-a-103_1667491048981.jpg)
After its premiere, many viewers took to Twitter to share their thoughts, with one admitting it left them an ’emotional wreck,’ and another saying they had a ‘deep, ugly cry’ after watching it
Despite them not supporting their relationship at first, Tembi, who has since found love again with a man whose name she has yet to reveal, said she is now close with Saro’s family.
‘Love lasts and transmutes. It doesn’t leave us,’ she concluded to the Today show.
After its premiere, many viewers took to Twitter to share their thoughts on the show, with one admitting it left them as an ’emotional wreck,’ and another writing that they had a ‘deep, ugly cry’ after watching it.
‘Do not watch From Scratch on Netflix, it will ruin your life,’ one person warned, alongside a meme that showed SpongeBob SquarePants in tears.
‘PSA: Do not watch From Scratch on Netflix if you do not feel like crying harder than you did at The Titanic and The Notebook combined,’ agreed another.
Someone else said: ‘Why did I watch From Scratch on Netflix last night? I cried myself to sleep. That is the best miniseries I’ve seen in years.’
‘From Scratch on Netflix got me so emotional. I need three to five days to recover from watching that show,’ read a fourth tweet, while a fifth said, ‘The way this show has had me ugly crying for four episodes straight.’
‘From Scratch needs a disclaimer,’ a different twitter user wrote. ‘Why am I crying so much?’
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