From the Ashes
My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way
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4.6 • 413 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
*#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER
*Winner, Kobo Emerging Writer Prize Nonfiction
*Winner, Indigenous Voices Awards
*Winner, High Plains Book Awards
*Finalist, CBC Canada Reads
*A Globe and Mail Book of the Year
*An Indigo Book of the Year
*A CBC Best Canadian Nonfiction Book of the Year
In this extraordinary and inspiring debut memoir, Jesse Thistle, once a high school dropout and now a rising Indigenous scholar, chronicles his life on the streets and how he overcame trauma and addiction to discover the truth about who he is.
If I can just make it to the next minute...then I might have a chance to live; I might have a chance to be something more than just a struggling crackhead.
From the Ashes is a remarkable memoir about hope and resilience, and a revelatory look into the life of a Métis-Cree man who refused to give up.
Abandoned by his parents as a toddler, Jesse Thistle briefly found himself in the foster-care system with his two brothers, cut off from all they had known. Eventually the children landed in the home of their paternal grandparents, whose tough-love attitudes quickly resulted in conflicts. Throughout it all, the ghost of Jesse’s drug-addicted father haunted the halls of the house and the memories of every family member. Struggling with all that had happened, Jesse succumbed to a self-destructive cycle of drug and alcohol addiction and petty crime, spending more than a decade on and off the streets, often homeless. Finally, he realized he would die unless he turned his life around.
In this heartwarming and heart-wrenching memoir, Jesse Thistle writes honestly and fearlessly about his painful past, the abuse he endured, and how he uncovered the truth about his parents. Through sheer perseverance and education—and newfound love—he found his way back into the circle of his Indigenous culture and family.
An eloquent exploration of the impact of prejudice and racism, From the Ashes is, in the end, about how love and support can help us find happiness despite the odds.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
As the Canadian government continues to apologize for past atrocities, the ownership of indigenous land grows more contentious by the day. Jesse Thistle’s heart-wrenching memoir reminds us that hearing the firsthand stories of First Nations people is more vital than ever. Born to Métis-Cree parents, Thistle was raised in foster care before being taken in by his strict grandparents. He writes with searing clarity about his teenage descent into drug abuse and homelessness, along with his subsequent journey towards sobriety. Thistle’s unflinching account of his painful personal experiences exposes the brutal systemic problems that underlie them. Peppered with Thistle’s family photos and deeply moving poetry, From the Ashes drew us into Thistle’s journey of discovering his self-worth and making positive changes. It’s a powerful and inspiring read.
Customer Reviews
Must read book about resilience and strength
This is the book everyone must read at least once in their lifetime. This is a book that shows the strength of the human soul, one that shows how strong resilience can be. On every page of this book you can’t help but feel deeply attached to each of the people in this book. This is probably the first book I have read in a long time that made me cry and I truly appreciate Jesse for sharing this with the world. Thank you so much.
Good read of truth
I enjoyed reading this memoir of Jesse, to hear his thoughts so tragically put were close to home. It was never easy growing up indigenous and these accounts show forth. I recommend this book as an eye opener to how quickly life can descend but also how quickly it can rise. Truth in words, miigwech.
Resilience of human beings at maximum here!
For the indigenous month I chose a book about experience of life from a Métis person from Saskatchewan Cree Tribe. His story is remarkable truly about the resilience of human beings. Jesse came from a broken home, was tied up in addiction and was homeless for 10 years in Brampton, Ontario! He went to jail to save his life and was able through rehabilitation in Ottawa , love and finding back his roots climb up in society to become a scholar ( university professor)! His story , he puts a face to homelessness people. I will never look the same at people living in the streets. Also, his story showed the trauma inflicted on indigenous people , more specifically the Métis, whose stolen land trauma in generations affected them differently having no recourse or defence whatsoever but to live through it and the consequences is of the generations of children suffering, in foster care and later plagued with addiction, homelessness and incarceration. Jesse was able to redeem himself with family support and finding his true identity and history. I can help to think of the other youth in indigenous communities who don’t have this support. How do they get back up in life and become citizens?
It’s important to read these Canadian stories as they are part of our heritage of this land we call home.