From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-06-02 12:52:25
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jesse Thistle
- ISBN：1982101210
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Summary
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， but their tough-love attitudes meant conflicts became commonplace。 And the ghost of Jesse’s drug-addicted father haunted the halls of the house and the memories of every family member。 Struggling， 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。 One day， he finally realized he would die unless he turned his life around。
In this heartwarming and heartbreaking memoir， Jesse Thistle writes honestly and fearlessly about his painful experiences with abuse， uncovering the truth about his parents， and how he found his way back into the circle of his Indigenous culture and family through education。
An eloquent exploration of what it means to live in a world surrounded by prejudice and racism and to be cast adrift， From the Ashes is， in the end， about how love and support can help one find happiness despite the odds。
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， but their tough-love attitudes meant conflicts became commonplace。 And the ghost of Jesse’s drug-addicted father haunted the halls of the house and the memories of every family member。 Struggling， 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。 One day， he finally realized he would die unless he turned his life around。
In this heartwarming and heartbreaking memoir， Jesse Thistle writes honestly and fearlessly about his painful experiences with abuse， uncovering the truth about his parents， and how he found his way back into the circle of his Indigenous culture and family through education。
An eloquent exploration of what it means to live in a world surrounded by prejudice and racism and to be cast adrift， From the Ashes is， in the end， about how love and support can help one find happiness despite the odds。
Reviews
Noella LeFort
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Wow。。。。this is a story that will stay with you long after you read the last page。 I immediately went looking to You Tube to hear this author speak。
Donna
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Tough tough story about a tough tough life But written in a manner that I was able to read it and not have to put it away as unable to finish。
Beth Osborne
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This book touched different。 Having a brother who at times was homeless， into serious drugs and alcohol and in and out of homes， this made me see his life differently。 The desire to be free of his troubles but not making it out。Thank you Jesse for being so incredibly open and honest about your experience。 I am happy that before it was to late you found someone who supported you even with the history that followed you。 You will inspire so many that hope and dreams are possible。
Kim Rude
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Amazing memoir - review coming soon！
Evelina | AvalinahsBooks
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How I read this: Free ebook copy received through EdelweissFrom the Ashes made me sad， like every single book about Native/indigenous people's struggles in the post-collonial world does。 The saddest thing of all is that most of the stories carry a lot of the same vibe， same reasons and tragedies， so despite having read only a few， you still know that it's a story of so many more people's lives - people who simply couldn't afford to tell it。 And that as bad and as sad as it was， it isn't even the How I read this: Free ebook copy received through EdelweissFrom the Ashes made me sad， like every single book about Native/indigenous people's struggles in the post-collonial world does。 The saddest thing of all is that most of the stories carry a lot of the same vibe， same reasons and tragedies， so despite having read only a few， you still know that it's a story of so many more people's lives - people who simply couldn't afford to tell it。 And that as bad and as sad as it was， it isn't even the worst one， most likely。 My heart always hurts knowing how these cultures were robbed of their future。 It's such a loss to our world as a whole。From the Ashes is told in a straightforward manner， and the key takeaway for me was that unless you are loved， you will not thrive。 And that it's not even poverty or hardship that undermines your chances in life so much as the fact that nobody has properly loved you as a child， or at least hasn't made it known to you that you were loved and someone believed in you。 As a child， the author felt that maybe his parents' shortcomings were his fault somehow （as most children feel about their parents' problems or divorce）， and that only as an adult he realized that every carer he's ever had looked at him and his brothers as burdens， transactions， duties。。。 But not children。 Not people who needed love to not only thrive - to simply survive and not crumble。As for the story itself， it really kind of baffles the mind - in the sense of "how did he even survive"。 Some of the things the author went through。。。 You think， it's plain impossible that he's here， publishing this book right now。 Because it simply can't be humanly possible。 Nothing short of a miracle or a few in fact。 And they're a bit scary。 I'm obviously glad the author was given so many chances and managed to get back up eventually。 But it's also scary to think how many chances he just let go of， how many chances given it took for him to stand up and get out of the darkness。It really is a powerful story， but it's not an easy one。 There are many hard points to this story - assault， homelessness， violence， disease and emotional trauma， abandonment and so， so much more。 Most of the book is dedicated to these points， and not the ascension "from the ashes"。 It's a powerful story， but a sensitive reader should think twice before they tackle it - it's not for someone who is struggling through anxiety or depression at the moment。 Keep this story for when you're stronger。 But you won't regret reading it - I wouldn't call it inspiring rather than just "awakening"。 After reading something like that， you will count your blessings in life。I thank the publisher for giving me a free copy of the ebook in exchange to my honest review。 This has not affected my opinion。Book Blog | Bookstagram | Bookish Twitter 。。。more
Ali Angco
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A story about being Metis， addiction， and healing。 See my full review on Storygraph
Brenda Richardson
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So raw and heart-wrenching but also hard to put down。
Energy
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Jesse knew he was different from other kids， but he didn’t know what being Métis meant specifically for him。 He grew up living with his grandparents after his mother moved on and his father disappeared due to addiction。 It’s that cycle of addiction in families， specifically Native families， that gripped Jesse so early in life。 I appreciate Jesse’s approach to sharing his life with the readers through short stories encompassing each chapter。 His story is so much more than just his battle with add Jesse knew he was different from other kids， but he didn’t know what being Métis meant specifically for him。 He grew up living with his grandparents after his mother moved on and his father disappeared due to addiction。 It’s that cycle of addiction in families， specifically Native families， that gripped Jesse so early in life。 I appreciate Jesse’s approach to sharing his life with the readers through short stories encompassing each chapter。 His story is so much more than just his battle with addiction， though we see the repercussions on those around him。 He is frank in his retelling， never shying away from some painful realities。 It’s a must-read for everyone， nicely done。 。。。more
Jo-Ann Jones
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This story is well written and I am glad that Jesse Thistle climbed out of the miserable life he had and found a new life， a better life。 I had difficulty identifying how his being Metis affected him。 Most， if not all， of his suffering seemed to be due to having a selfish， manipulative father who was white， criminal， and alcoholic， who abandoned his wife and family， and who successfully conned his much more naïve and trusting wife into giving the children back to him when it served his purpose。 This story is well written and I am glad that Jesse Thistle climbed out of the miserable life he had and found a new life， a better life。 I had difficulty identifying how his being Metis affected him。 Most， if not all， of his suffering seemed to be due to having a selfish， manipulative father who was white， criminal， and alcoholic， who abandoned his wife and family， and who successfully conned his much more naïve and trusting wife into giving the children back to him when it served his purpose。 Have I missed something here about the role being Metis played in Jesse's downfall？ 。。。more
Justine Braham
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A beautiful memoir！！ I have a profound respect for Jesse Thistle and I am grateful he has chosen to share his story。 I recommend this book to everyone， especially Canadians！！！
Jen Boehm
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This was a brutal， but beautiful story。 It is very hard to truly look at someone who has gone through such a hard life experience， I think it is often much easier for us to pretend they do not exist， but Jesse's story put a human face on a very dark reality。There were a few graphic points where admittedly I had to skip ahead a bit， but I am very glad to have read this。 I think it's a great reminder that something as simple as treating someone like a human can go a very long way。 This was a brutal， but beautiful story。 It is very hard to truly look at someone who has gone through such a hard life experience， I think it is often much easier for us to pretend they do not exist， but Jesse's story put a human face on a very dark reality。There were a few graphic points where admittedly I had to skip ahead a bit， but I am very glad to have read this。 I think it's a great reminder that something as simple as treating someone like a human can go a very long way。 。。。more
Gord
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This story of one man’s struggle to survive and succeed despite many years of a wide range of problems is inspiring！ It is very honest and doesn’t always （often ？） present himself as a sympathetic character who made use of the many chances he was given by supportive friends and family！
Stiina
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Thank you for sharing your story。
Renee Brodeur
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Great story， writer holds nothing back。
Elisa Strickler
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I won an advanced reader's edition of the paperback through Goodreads， and was eager to read this book as it has been on my to-read list for quite some time。 This is a powerful memoir that was at times very painful to read。 Mr。 Thistle uses his memories and history to tell his story of finding his identity after decades of oppression and shame。 It's ultimately a story of understanding and deep love - not tied up with a neat bow， but nonetheless brimming with hope。 I won an advanced reader's edition of the paperback through Goodreads， and was eager to read this book as it has been on my to-read list for quite some time。 This is a powerful memoir that was at times very painful to read。 Mr。 Thistle uses his memories and history to tell his story of finding his identity after decades of oppression and shame。 It's ultimately a story of understanding and deep love - not tied up with a neat bow， but nonetheless brimming with hope。 。。。more
Hugh Carter
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Grim and upsetting but ultimately inspiring。 The recovery section I felt was somewhat rushed， but I'm very glad for Thistle。 It took a lot of guts to write this。 Good for him。 Grim and upsetting but ultimately inspiring。 The recovery section I felt was somewhat rushed， but I'm very glad for Thistle。 It took a lot of guts to write this。 Good for him。 。。。more
Shirley Freeman
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Jesse Thistle offers a remarkably intimate portrayal of addiction， homelessness and eventual recovery in this captivating memoir。 Thistle was born， and raised （sometimes）， in Saskatchewan and Ontario。 By age 14， he was spiraling into addiction and he remained there for over twenty years。 He tells his story in groups of years （i。e。 1993-1999） since some dates stand out and are verifiable while much of his time was a blur。 After each section， I thought his life couldn't possibly get worse but - bu Jesse Thistle offers a remarkably intimate portrayal of addiction， homelessness and eventual recovery in this captivating memoir。 Thistle was born， and raised （sometimes）， in Saskatchewan and Ontario。 By age 14， he was spiraling into addiction and he remained there for over twenty years。 He tells his story in groups of years （i。e。 1993-1999） since some dates stand out and are verifiable while much of his time was a blur。 After each section， I thought his life couldn't possibly get worse but - but then it did。 It's hard to believe he's still alive - but he made it through and out - to become an educator and advocate for the homeless and for those with indigenous heritage。 His story reminds us that recovery is always possible。 Coming in August 2021。 。。。more
Amanda
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Audiobook
Kathy
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I discuss my thoughts about this book in this BookTube video。 I discuss my thoughts about this book in this BookTube video。 。。。more
Jodi Monahan
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Loved this story。 I don’t know how he didn’t give up at some point in his life。
Elizabeth Knott-landry
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Jesse faced a life of turmoil and eventually found his way to happiness and success。 Truly found this book inspiring and loved reading it。
Allan Effa
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An amazingly candid autobiography of one man’s struggle with identity， belonging， and the drugs and booze that medicated his deep wounds。 Deeply inspiring story of hope and change that will forever change the way I view homeless and drug addicted people。
Debbie
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Wow。。。。definatley a deeply moving journey as they say on the cover。
Allison
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Very good story， very heavy and dark but worth the read。
Emily Princi
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Very interesting point of view on homelessness and how intergenerational indigenous trauma impacted ones life。 Took a long time to get through because it’s a memoir， and memoirs aren’t my fave style of book， but super good。
Trish
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Jesse Thistle， a Metis-Cree man， led a harsh life from an early age when he and his brothers were abandoned by their parent。 Hurt by life， Jesse dropped out of school and turned to petty crime as he descended into alcohol and drug addiction for many years。 But through all the inequality sickness and injury he endured， and through periods in rehab and jail， he discovered his own style of resiliency， and his inspirational story is about hope and recovery。 In time， Jesse built a new life for himsel Jesse Thistle， a Metis-Cree man， led a harsh life from an early age when he and his brothers were abandoned by their parent。 Hurt by life， Jesse dropped out of school and turned to petty crime as he descended into alcohol and drug addiction for many years。 But through all the inequality sickness and injury he endured， and through periods in rehab and jail， he discovered his own style of resiliency， and his inspirational story is about hope and recovery。 In time， Jesse built a new life for himself， becoming a university graduate。 He is an Assistant Professor in Métis Studies at York University in Toronto and author of this memoire。From the Ashes was on the short-list for Canada Reads 2020。“Things happen in life that tear us apart， that make us into something capable of hurting other people。 That’s all any of the darkness really is – just love gone bad。 We’re just broken-hearted people hurt by life。” 。。。more
Kyle Erickson
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This was such an intense memoir。 Jesse Thistle had a rough life， and from him to go from where he was to where he is now is astounding。 It's a short， easy read that will make you think about the people who slip through the cracks。 I do wish that Jesse had been more introspective throughout， though。 He got a little introspective at the end， but he spent most of the book being awful to his family， friends， and strangers。 While it's obvious he regrets his behavior， he doesn't spend any time dwellin This was such an intense memoir。 Jesse Thistle had a rough life， and from him to go from where he was to where he is now is astounding。 It's a short， easy read that will make you think about the people who slip through the cracks。 I do wish that Jesse had been more introspective throughout， though。 He got a little introspective at the end， but he spent most of the book being awful to his family， friends， and strangers。 While it's obvious he regrets his behavior， he doesn't spend any time dwelling on any of it。 I mean， his grandparents shun him and I honestly thought they went above and beyond trying to help him， and Jesse the teenager was being a huge ass to everyone around them， and he never really reconciles with his culpability with this。 （I understand his childhood trauma is a BIG reason he was like this。 But trauma doesn't give people an out to be consistently awful to the people who love them， and even though he was a teenager， Jesse the author never owns up to his end， either）。His writing style was a little rough， but highly effective。 I personally dislike when memoirs do really early child years with very vivid detail， and this one did that too， but it worked better than normal because his childhood was pretty awful， making me think these specific instances were burned into his memory。 But other than those early chapters， I thought he was brutally honest and Jesse is incredibly resilient to go through all that he did and decide to turn his life back around and graduate school。 My complaints， though， are nitpicks to an incredible story。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Louise
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A very powerful and thought provoking book。
Lena Nash
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Non-BIPOC Reviewer: Thank you Jesse for sharing your memoir with the world。 These experiences shed a light on such an intense， dark， and widely shared problems amongst many communities。 Yet also shows us what happens when the proper resources， relationships， and support are provided to those most in need。 May every reader reflect on their own relationship to houselessness， drug / alcohol abuse， racism， assault， so that we may truly reconile our rolls in sustaining communities who are most impact Non-BIPOC Reviewer: Thank you Jesse for sharing your memoir with the world。 These experiences shed a light on such an intense， dark， and widely shared problems amongst many communities。 Yet also shows us what happens when the proper resources， relationships， and support are provided to those most in need。 May every reader reflect on their own relationship to houselessness， drug / alcohol abuse， racism， assault， so that we may truly reconile our rolls in sustaining communities who are most impacted by these issues。 。。。more
Emma Moynan
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