Heartbreaking true story behind moving Netflix drama From Scratch
The most tragic thing about the series is that it’s based on a true story.
From Scratch on Netflix takes inspiration from the 2019 memoir of the same name by Tembi Locke, which tells the heart-wrenching true story of her travels in Italy, her romance with Saro Gullo, and his subsequent diagnosis of a rare form of cancer and death.
The eight-episode romantic drama takes inspiration from the true story, starring Zoe Saldaña as American Amy Wheeler, who moves to Italy and falls in love with Sicilian chef Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea).
The duo enjoy an idyllic existence of good food, great company and stunning seaside backdrops.
But their love story becomes even more surprising and ever-changing than they ever could have imagined when Lino falls ill – and the newlyweds are left struggling to unite their families into a cross-country support system.
Co-created by Locke and her sister, Attica Locke, the series has quickly rocketed its way into Netflix's top 10 TV chart, which has left many viewers intrigued by the true story that inspired From Scratch.
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So, how much of Netflix's From Scratch is a true story and how does it differ from Tembi's memoir? Read on for everything you need to know.
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Heartbreaking true story behind moving Netflix drama From Scratch
Though the characters’ names have been changed for the Netflix adaptation (more on this below), the show does stay true to Tembi Locke’s memoir.
Like Amy in From Scratch, Locke moved to Italy after graduating high school, where she first laid eyes on Gullo and it was love at first sight.
However, the couple faced a number of obstacles, as is shown in the series, with Locke's family criticising her decision to study abroad, and Gullo’s family disapproving of his decision to wed a Black American woman from Texas.
Locke moved back to the US while Gullo remained in Florence, but the pair later reunited in New York and then moved to Los Angeles together, where they got married in 1995.
However, in 2002, Saro was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called leiomyosarcoma.
After his diagnosis, the couple adopted a child together and enjoyed co-parenting but, after ten years of treatment, Gullo passed away in 2012.
The memoir chronicles three summers Locke spent in Sicily with her daughter after Gullo's death, as the grief-stricken pair tried to navigate life without him.
Staying true to this aspect of the memoir, From Scratch’s finale sees Amy fulfil Lino’s final wishes and return to Sicily, where she bonds with his family, who are also in a deep state of grief, and eventually begins to find peace and feel at home.
What are the differences between the Netflix show and the memoir?
While the show largely stays true to the memoir, most of the characters' names have been changed.
Locke previously said she hoped this decision would create a "psychic distance" between the real-life people and their fictional counterpoints on screen.
"We had fun creating these alternate versions of us," she told Today.
Locke and Saro's daughter Zoela picked her on-screen name Idalia, while Locke's sister Attica chose to be named Zora after writer Zora Neale Hurston.
Meanwhile, Amy in the show is short for the South African name Amahle.
Locke added: "Amy's name was a wink and a nod to having an Afrocentric name and the ways in which it changes. But her parents always call her Amahle."
From Scratch is available to stream on Netflix. Sign up for Netflix from £6.99 a month. Netflix is also available on Sky Glass and Virgin Media Stream.
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