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  • From the Ashes

  • My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way
  • By: Jesse Thistle
  • Narrated by: Jesse Thistle
  • Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (11 ratings)

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From the Ashes cover art

From the Ashes

By: Jesse Thistle
Narrated by: Jesse Thistle
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Publisher's Summary

  • 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 heart-warming 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.

©2019 Jesse Thistle (P)2019 Simon & Schuster Audio

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The story of hope, change and resilience

So honoured to have heard Jesse’s story. It is a story of resilience and hope. I am so happy and proud that he found opportunities to grow, because no matter who and where we are we need help to recover. Of course the choices are for us to make and grab the opportunities.

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Real look at being Indigenous in Canada

I loved this audiobook. Jesse Thistle’s account of his life through snippets of stories from his boyhood to present day was enthralling, heart-breaking, and extremely inspiring. As a fellow Métis I’m aware of the hardships Indigenous people face in Canada but hearing a first hand account of his journey from homelessness to an academic shows the power of our resilience and bravery. Thank you for sharing your story Jesse. Hiy hiy.

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