From the Ashes, Jesse Thistle
From the Ashes, Jesse Thistle
2 Rating(s)
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From the Ashes
My Story of Being Indigenous, Homeless, and Finding My Way

Author: Jesse Thistle

Narrator: Jesse Thistle

Unabridged: 9 hr 55 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 06/08/2021


Synopsis

This #1 internationally bestselling and award-winning memoir about overcoming trauma, prejudice, and addiction by a Métis-Cree author as he struggles to find a way back to himself and his Indigenous culture is “an illuminating, inside account of homelessness, a study of survival and freedom” (Amanda Lindhout, bestselling coauthor of A House in the Sky).

Abandoned by his parents as a toddler, Jesse Thistle and his two brothers were cut off from all they knew when they were placed in the foster care system. Eventually placed with their paternal grandparents, the children often clashed with their tough-love attitude. Worse, the ghost of Jesse’s drug-addicted father seemed to haunt the memories of every member of the family.

Soon, Jesse succumbed to a self-destructive cycle of drug and alcohol addiction and petty crime, resulting in more than a decade living on and off the streets. Facing struggles many of us cannot even imagine, Jesse knew he would die unless he turned his life around. Through sheer perseverance and newfound love, he managed to find his way back into the loving embrace of his Indigenous culture and family.

Now, in this heart-wrenching and triumphant memoir, Jesse Thistle honestly and fearlessly divulges his painful past, the abuse he endured, and the tragic truth about his parents. An eloquent exploration of the dangerous impact of prejudice and racism, From the Ashes is ultimately a celebration of love and “a story of courage and resilience certain to strike a chord with readers from many backgrounds” (Library Journal).

About Jesse Thistle

Jesse Thistle is Métis-Cree, from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and an assistant professor in Humanities at York University in Toronto. From the Ashes was the top-selling Canadian book in 2020, the winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Nonfiction, Indigenous Voices Award, and High Plains Book Award, and also a finalist for CBC Canada Reads. Jesse won a Governor General’s Academic Medal in 2016, and is a Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Scholar and a Vanier Scholar. A frequent keynote speaker, he lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with his wife, Lucie, and is at work on multiple projects, including his next book. Visit him at JesseThistle.com.  


Reviews

Goodreads review by Candie

This book is extremely intense. I have multiple family members who have dealt with many of the things he has dealt with and it was just really hard to read. I literally felt sick to my stomach reading it, found it hard to sleep and felt overall pretty down. It is very heavy. If you or anyone in your......more

5+ outstanding stars! Easily earned a spot on my 2020 Favourites List. Raw. Eye-opening. Informative. Heart wrenching. Impactful. I am forever changed after reading this. One of the toughest, most honest and powerful memoirs I have read. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Jesse Thistle for bein......more

My Canadian friends on Instagram firmly placed From the Ashes on my radar. It’s a compelling memoir of Jesse Thistle’s life, a finalist for the CBC Canada Reads awards, and the top selling Canadian author in 2020. Jesse’s background is Métis-Cree, and his story begins quite early in his life. He’s l......more

Goodreads review by Nicole

3 1/2 stars This book was heartbreaking and what Thistle went through and overcame is highly admirable. He is a very strong person and I'm glad he found himself after all of what happened in the past. This memoir is raw and Thistle doesn't shy away from the ugly truths. So my rating isn't regarding h......more