From Scratch, a new limited drama series on Netflix, is based on a heart-wrenching true story.
The series, which climbed to the top of the Netflix Top 10, is inspired by the 2019 bestselling memoir of the same name by showrunner and co-creator Tembi Locke.
Zoe Saldaña plays Amahle 'Amy' Wheeler, an American student studying abroad in Italy who falls in love with a Sicilian chef named Lino (Eugenio Mastrandrea). Per Netflix, the couple's "whirlwind romance faces many unforeseen challenges, including their very different cultural backgrounds; true to real life, it is also infused with lightheartedness and moments of humor that exist alongside the more serious ones."
Created by Tembi and her sister Attica Locke, From Scratch puts a fictional spin on the real-life story which we explain below.
Is Netflix's From Scratch based on a true story?
From Scratch is based on the memoir From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home published in 2019 by Tembi Locke.
Locke chose to study abroad in Italy after high school, something her family disapproved of. It was there that she met a Sicilian chef named Saro Gullo – and it was love at first sight. Unfortunately, Gullo's family did not approve of his marriage to a Black American woman – and Locke moved back to the United States.
In the name of true love, the couple reunited in New York and moved to Los Angeles, officially marrying in 1995. In 2002, Gullo was diagnosed with leiomyosarcoma (LMS). LMS, also known as 'soft tissue sarcoma' is a rare form of cancer that grows in the 'smooth muscles' of the body. Following his diagnosis, the pair adopted a daughter and enjoyed a decade of love and happiness before Gullo ultimately passed away in 2012.
Locke and her daughter then spent three summers in Sicily, bonding with his family amidst their terrible grief.
The show stays true to the memoir, though the character names have been changed.
For more, check out our list of the best Netflix shows to stream right now.
