From the Ashes: My Story of Being Indigenous, Homeless, and Finding My Way
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- Create Date：2021-06-17 06:52:57
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Jesse Thistle
- ISBN：1982182946
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Summary
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）。
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）。
Reviews
Acj
，
4 stars。 Thistle’s life seems more like fiction than truth: it’s incredible that a person could go through so much darkness and find his way back to the light。 I kept thinking， “this must be where he hits rock bottom”…but then things would still get worse。 I appreciate the hope that the end of this books brings， I think I just want to know more about this next chapter: what does Thistle think is the key to breaking the cycle of addiction/homelessness/crime among indigenous people （or more genera 4 stars。 Thistle’s life seems more like fiction than truth: it’s incredible that a person could go through so much darkness and find his way back to the light。 I kept thinking， “this must be where he hits rock bottom”…but then things would still get worse。 I appreciate the hope that the end of this books brings， I think I just want to know more about this next chapter: what does Thistle think is the key to breaking the cycle of addiction/homelessness/crime among indigenous people （or more generally， even）， having made it out himself？ I also wish he had shared more about history’s influence on his family （it seems just touched on in the book）。 But despite his efforts to numb and really destroy himself， Thistle is clearly a sharp mind， and I’m so glad he shared his story。 。。。more
Shelby
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2。5 stars。
Breda
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His life was so sad and heartbreaking but he managed to turn it around so good for him。
Jacqueline Franco
，
What an absolutely incredible read！ I couldn't put it down。Heartbreakingly honest but inspirational at the same time。Canadian too！Absolutely recommend！ What an absolutely incredible read！ I couldn't put it down。Heartbreakingly honest but inspirational at the same time。Canadian too！Absolutely recommend！ 。。。more
Elaine
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This book was an open， honest， heart-breaking， and encouraging account of Jesse Thistle， a Métis-Cree who overcame so much in his life。 I loved his honesty， writing that the stories were how he remembered them。 His mom escaped an abusive relationship with him and his siblings。 Then she allowed her husband to have the children back。 They were finally rescued by the police and sent to live with the grandparents。 In that home was a zero tolerance policy。 After being caught with drugs， his grandfath This book was an open， honest， heart-breaking， and encouraging account of Jesse Thistle， a Métis-Cree who overcame so much in his life。 I loved his honesty， writing that the stories were how he remembered them。 His mom escaped an abusive relationship with him and his siblings。 Then she allowed her husband to have the children back。 They were finally rescued by the police and sent to live with the grandparents。 In that home was a zero tolerance policy。 After being caught with drugs， his grandfather kicked him out of the house。 He spiraled out of control for many years。 He was finally able to enter a rehab centre where he was able to turn his life around。 He married an old girlfriend， got his high school diploma， then went on to university （York） and became an associate professor。 There were so many cracks that he fell through， so many situations where he wanted help but there was no support， or too long a waiting time so he fell back into his old life again。 He never found his father but reconnected with his Mom， and was able to reconcile with his grandparents。 I could write so much more about this book。 I highly recommend it。Another thing that struck me was one of the time he spent in jail。 pg 260 "At night， when you're giving out tea for Jug Up before bed， look at people's bedsides。 Look beside the beds of those young punks who brag， then look at the bedside of the quiet guys。 You'll see something different。 Those in for real crimes， they always have a Bible， Koran， Torah， or some other holy book by their bedsides。 Night after night they stay up trying to make it right with God。 Don't mess with guys like that。。。。。 The real hard nuts can't sleep and can't stop themselves from seeking God。 The need forgiveness because they can't accept who or what they've become and what they've done。。。。。they've got no other comfort than God。" "All us criminals start out as normal people just like anyone else， but then things happen in life that tear us apart， that makes 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
Jordan
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Heart wrenching， impactful， & raw。
Kimberley
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Real and Raw， a true glimpse of the progression and pain leading to addiction and homelessness。 The deepest depths of despair， and the courage to rebuild and makes a comeback better than ever。 Not forgetting where he once was， and sharing the faith and knowledge that impacts life in the now。
Adam
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An excellent autobiography of an indigenous Canadian's struggles with his identity， bad family relationships and drug addiction; a strong reminder of the dangers of the latter in particular。 It is a bit disjointed but the author admits as much - he's had to rely on plenty of others to get the story in a coherent shape but he wasn't exactly taking notes at the time。A particularly timely read with the recent discovery of a mass grave at a Canadian residential school and well worth checking out。 An excellent autobiography of an indigenous Canadian's struggles with his identity， bad family relationships and drug addiction; a strong reminder of the dangers of the latter in particular。 It is a bit disjointed but the author admits as much - he's had to rely on plenty of others to get the story in a coherent shape but he wasn't exactly taking notes at the time。A particularly timely read with the recent discovery of a mass grave at a Canadian residential school and well worth checking out。 。。。more
Dallon McCarty
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Amazing life story。 Very powerful， heartwrenching， and a good story of overcoming the odds。
Alyssa B | catsandbookstacks
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Jesse Thistle recounts his life in the foster system， dropping out of high school， experiencing homelessness， addiction， jail， and recovery in a heart-wrenching memoir。All I can say is， if you haven't read From The Ashes yet， please do so。 Thistle narrates the audiobook， which brings his story of the racism and prejudice he experienced even more to life。 This is not an easy read but there is nothing easy about what marginalized populations endure on a daily basis。 Jesse Thistle recounts his life in the foster system， dropping out of high school， experiencing homelessness， addiction， jail， and recovery in a heart-wrenching memoir。All I can say is， if you haven't read From The Ashes yet， please do so。 Thistle narrates the audiobook， which brings his story of the racism and prejudice he experienced even more to life。 This is not an easy read but there is nothing easy about what marginalized populations endure on a daily basis。 。。。more
Cheryl
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Great Book。 Sad what this boy had to overcome， but well written and hard to put this book down。 Finished it in 2 days。
Amber
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This book was very good。 Definitely on the heavier side of things， but opened my eyes to a lot。
Chelsey
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This was a stunning memoir of Jesse Thistle's trauma， courage， and relationships。 I was impressed with the honesty and bravery with which Jesse tells his story。 The story is intense， extraordinary， and stomach-turning。 I loved the writing style with the short chapters and powerful poetry intertwined。 I don't necessarily feel right trying to rate this book as it is so deeply personal but I will do my best to explain my thoughts。 In general， I would rate this 5/5 because it was captivating and mos This was a stunning memoir of Jesse Thistle's trauma， courage， and relationships。 I was impressed with the honesty and bravery with which Jesse tells his story。 The story is intense， extraordinary， and stomach-turning。 I loved the writing style with the short chapters and powerful poetry intertwined。 I don't necessarily feel right trying to rate this book as it is so deeply personal but I will do my best to explain my thoughts。 In general， I would rate this 5/5 because it was captivating and most of all Jesse's bravery in sharing his story and pain can be felt through each page。 On a personal level， I would rate this a 4。5/5 star because I was hoping for a little more detail on how felt turning his life around， dealing with guilt for past mistakes， and reconnecting with family and his heritage。 Nonetheless， I think this is a must read for everyone。 Just make sure you look up trigger warnings ahead of time as there are a lot of them！ 。。。more
Heather Smith
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This was an excellent book。 Definitely arising from the ashes。 It just shows you， that once you know the life a person had， you can understand why they are where they are。 Thankful he found a way out。
Penny
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I did not find this particularly inspiring。 Whatever issues he might have had with abandonment and abuse， seemed like he was mainly just a jerk to his brothers and grandparents， and his own stupid choices led to his homelessness and addiction。 I feel empathy for the protagonists of many of this type of memoir， but for some reason， not this guy。
Emily Jackson
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This is such a great book。 Truly honest depiction of homelessness and addiction， no glamorizing or romantisizing。。 hard read as it is extremely heart wrenching， but the ending leaves you feeling a complete sense of peace。
Denise
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What a journey！ I just couldn’t put this book down。 He writes so well with such passion and determination， the chances he took， such a brave person， I wish you and Lucie all the happiness in the world
Shantel
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Such an incredible story。
Chelsea
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Really enjoyed reading this memoir。 Very raw， very captivating and an inspiring story of resilience。 100% recommend to all those who want to understand the deeper connection between colonialism， indigenous people and various social issues。 Could not put this book down。 Great read。
Tracey Mills
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Highly recommend this book！
Trevor Wiltzen
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From the Ashes， by Métis-Cree-Scot author Jesse Thistle， is a brutal， well-crafted， poignant read。 He grabs you by the collar with his first words， pulling you into the pages of his life， and you fall wide-eyed with him， unable to look away， hoping to find an end to his suffering and self-injury， but seemingly， there is none。 Every time his life seems to have reached bottom， he has not。 Torn from his mother and then his near homeless， drug-addicted father and then falling prey to addiction， home From the Ashes， by Métis-Cree-Scot author Jesse Thistle， is a brutal， well-crafted， poignant read。 He grabs you by the collar with his first words， pulling you into the pages of his life， and you fall wide-eyed with him， unable to look away， hoping to find an end to his suffering and self-injury， but seemingly， there is none。 Every time his life seems to have reached bottom， he has not。 Torn from his mother and then his near homeless， drug-addicted father and then falling prey to addiction， homelessness， prison， self-abuse， and injury， to places no child or adult should go， your heart bleeds with him and for him。 It is a story of pain， suffering， systemic racism， and finally， a form of redemption and success。 The author bared his soul for the reader and put into words experiences that would make most speechless。 His courage makes this an essential read for those who know someone dealing with self-abuse， addiction， and systemic racism。 In the author's words in a CBC interview， he said， "If you look through the book， you'll see flashes of light every time I was traumatized。 The way that my mind works， it's like looking through a shard of broken glass， with all the different light fragments。 I can only capture them in one- and two-page memories because they either score my soul and I bleed too much or I can't remember because my mind blocks it out。 It was painful， but it was also very beautiful。 These were really hard， painful， sharp memories。" 。。。more
Jennifer Patriquin
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An eye opening and emotional memoir。
Tamara Taylor
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A beautifully crafted memoir of the life of trauma， neglect， addiction and homelessness of a Metis boy。 It was heartbreaking and eye opening。 Thistle commanded the story with beautifully descriptive prose and poetry。 His redemption and motivation are incredible。
Sara Beth Lyon
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***** 5 STARS *****From the first page to the last， Jesse Thistle’s memoir captivated my being， tore open my heart， made me hope & pray， had me furious， had me struggling to get through the descriptive details， and yet hoping and cheering for him to find his way。 As a lover of indigenous cultures， their history， their traditions， how their identity was stripped by white man， and what impact that has had on their future， Jesse’s story painted a vivid picture。 The carefully crafted details had me ***** 5 STARS *****From the first page to the last， Jesse Thistle’s memoir captivated my being， tore open my heart， made me hope & pray， had me furious， had me struggling to get through the descriptive details， and yet hoping and cheering for him to find his way。 As a lover of indigenous cultures， their history， their traditions， how their identity was stripped by white man， and what impact that has had on their future， Jesse’s story painted a vivid picture。 The carefully crafted details had me feeling like I was right there with him， experiencing the highs and lows of abandonment， anger， and addiction。 I cannot recommend this book enough！ 。。。more
Zamira Heth
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This is a powerful book。 However， I felt the last 1/3 of the book where he tells many stories of his ongoing struggle with drugs， committing crimes and living on the streets to be a bit long。 Some further editing could have occurred。
Carina
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Inspiring story about identity and resilience。 It truly changed my perspective on addiction and homelessness。 It was narrated in a chronological way （so a sort of coming of age story）， but I felt in some paragraphs were literally repeated when he re-experienced drugs， but might be intentional。 As he stated himself in the story he writes what he remembers since he wasn't very conscious most of the time。 I was touched by Jesse's honesty and his courage to get back up when he hit rock bottom。 I lik Inspiring story about identity and resilience。 It truly changed my perspective on addiction and homelessness。 It was narrated in a chronological way （so a sort of coming of age story）， but I felt in some paragraphs were literally repeated when he re-experienced drugs， but might be intentional。 As he stated himself in the story he writes what he remembers since he wasn't very conscious most of the time。 I was touched by Jesse's honesty and his courage to get back up when he hit rock bottom。 I liked that he wrote about reconnecting with his identity and his culture towards the end， and I would've loved if he extended more on that theme and his journey with reaffirming his cultural identity。In all， it's a great book， and I recommend it to everyone！ A must read！ 。。。more
Jenn
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Heartbreaking and raw
Jessica Turner
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This was raw， heartbreaking and real。 I had to pause several times to just take some deep breaths。 It hurts my heart to know that all this happened to Jesse， and happens to hundreds of thousands of homeless and struggling individuals every year。 Despite all Jesse’s trauma and pain and addiction， he persevered through so much of his life and it was beautiful to watch his journey unfold as he realized his potential and the love that he was capable of。 This memoir doesn’t sugar coat the reality of This was raw， heartbreaking and real。 I had to pause several times to just take some deep breaths。 It hurts my heart to know that all this happened to Jesse， and happens to hundreds of thousands of homeless and struggling individuals every year。 Despite all Jesse’s trauma and pain and addiction， he persevered through so much of his life and it was beautiful to watch his journey unfold as he realized his potential and the love that he was capable of。 This memoir doesn’t sugar coat the reality of many Indigenous homeless individuals on the streets throughout Canada。 It was incredibly dark in moments， but there were glimpses of light when Jesse experienced kindness that gave me hope that humanity is not entirely lost。 This memoir occurred right in my own backyard， the streets that Jesse begged for change on， the corner stores he robbed， the parks that he’d go to buy drugs， these are locations I am very familiar with in Toronto。 It really highlighted how privileged I really am， to be able to walk away from these neighborhoods without feeling the pull of addiction or like I have no where else to go。 I’ve always felt that the Canadian government has done no where near enough reconciliation with Indigenous communities and has turned a blind eye to the racism， abuse and trauma that so many experienced。 Jesse’s story is the story of so many others， lost in the system and lost in the world。 This book is a necessary read for all those who’ve struggled to put themselves into the shoes of those they walk past on the streets every day， begging for change。 It is a hard read but very valuable。 。。。more
Erin Amalia
，
This book does it all。 It tells a story。 It is raw。 It brings tears to your eyes。 It makes you feel the pain and suffering of an indigenous homeless addicted man。 It makes you smile。 It makes you feel hope。 Hope for others in a similar situation to the author， Jesse。 Thanks to Netgalley for exposing me to this book that I'm not sure I would have found on my own。 Working with immigrant children in my school， I seek out memoirs and literature surrounding that。 However， I now realize I need to be r This book does it all。 It tells a story。 It is raw。 It brings tears to your eyes。 It makes you feel the pain and suffering of an indigenous homeless addicted man。 It makes you smile。 It makes you feel hope。 Hope for others in a similar situation to the author， Jesse。 Thanks to Netgalley for exposing me to this book that I'm not sure I would have found on my own。 Working with immigrant children in my school， I seek out memoirs and literature surrounding that。 However， I now realize I need to be reading books on different marginalized populations as well。 This June is not only PRIDE month but also Indigenous Heritage Month。 For anyone wishing to learn more about the underprivileged/marginalized indigenous population within in Canada， this is a great place to start。 。。。more
David
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