Quick Review: From The Ashes: My Story of Being Metis, Homeless, and Finding My Way, by Jesse Thistle

From The Ashes: My Story of Being Metis, Homeless, and Finding My Way, by Jesse Thistle

Simon & Schuster - 2019
Memoir

Audiobook

9 Hours, 55 Minutes

Read by the Author

#1 National Bestseller

Finalist, Kobo Emerging Writer Prize
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

 

*Quick Reviews are slightly less formal reviews using the publishers summary

From The Ashes, by Jesse Thistle is my choice to fulfill item number 4 -  People Person Books - Read a Biography or memoir, for my 20 For 2020 Book Challenge.

Publisher's 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, 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.

My thoughts:

I bought a copy of this book because it was a finalist for CBC's Canada Reads 2020. I try to read at least a few from the list every year. (Unfortunately this year's competition was cancelled due to COVID 19 concerns). As my reading time fell off rather suddenly, I ended up listening to the audiobook 

From the Ashes, by Jesse Thistle is an important and deeply moving memoir.  Thistle is able to chronicle his story from trauma, to tribulation and ultimately love and redemption, It is a testament to both the fragility and strength of the human spirit.  

With heart wrenching honesty Thistle describes his life from unstable childhood into addiction and life on the streets, and eventually the difficult recovery and mastery over his demons.  As a reader with a certain amount of privilege, it is a good reminder that many addicts and street people more often than not, come from a place of pain.  His openness and honesty in his writing resulted in a recounting that is tough and gritty, yet not without love and hope. 

By reading the story himself for the audiobook, the listener is graced with with experience of listening to his story in his words and hearing it as though it is a first hand telling. 

This memoir is an important book for Canadians as we work towards a future where there is more empathy and understanding and less judgement and racism. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review - Pretty Things, by Janelle Brown

Pretty Things, by Janelle Brown

Random House Canada - April 21, 2020
Thriller
E-book

470 Pages

* I received this digital ARC courtesy of Random House Canada, via NetGalley, in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pretty Things by Janelle Brown is a modern, character driven story of class and revenge. 

Nina had dreams and aspirations. but as the daughter of a con artist, she eventually falls into her mother's line of work. Nina's world threatens to implode when her mother falls ill. Desperate to save her mother, she and her boyfriend Lachlan plan a job much larger and riskier than anything they have done in the past. A job that will see Nina return to Lake Tahoe where she once lived.

Vanessa was born with a silver spoon in her mouth. Never having had to worry about money she travels the world as a fashion influencer, modeling clothing and products given to her by top design houses in exchange for a spot on her popular Instagram feed.  When her engagement is broken, she retreats to Stonehaven - the mansion she inherited on the shores of Lake Tahoe, but was the setting for some of the most traumatic events in her life. 

As these women come together, their pasts and the present meld into a tale of desperation and revenge, double-handedness and deceit.  

I struggled to get into the story. It wasn't until about half way that it started to pick up for me.  Part of the problem was my personal situation and reaction during the COVID adjustments, but I think that only intensified the slow start of this book for me. Once I reached the half-way mark and the story started to take shape, it become more enjoyable, and by the end I was quite enjoying it; so even though slow to start the ending was strong.

Character development for this novel was one of the things about it I did enjoy. As the story unfolds we see in both women aspects of victim and villain.  Both have been shaped by their life experiences and seeing each from different perspectives gives depth and dimension to them and to the story. 

The plot was strong and had some good twists to keep the reader on their toes.  The ending was clean and satisfying. 

All in all, while slow to start, this novel was a solid character driven thriller with an exciting and satisfying conclusion. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: Cousins' Club, by Warren Alexander

Cousins' Club, by Warren Alexander

Next Chapter Audio LTD - 2020
Audiobook
Narrated by TJ Clark

5 Hours, 39 Minutes

*I received this review copy courtesy of the narrator - TJ Clark, in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Quirky and fun, Cousins' Club is a light and enjoyable diversion.

When the matriarch of a Jewish family in 1950's New York prophesises that the next child born into the family will be a genius, she decides that none of the family is smart enough to raise the child alone, and dictates that the entire extended family will take turns raising the child. 

What ensues is a satirical look at the core nature of families and the individuals that make them up, that applies just as much to the average family today as to the family of this story - and that is what makes it so enjoyable. As the boy grows up living among various colorful family members, the reader is treated to many chuckles as the story unfolds and the young man comes of age. 

Did the genius child learn something from each of the family members? Absolutely! Was it what the grandmother had envisioned the child learning? Absolutely not! 

TJ Clark did a wonderful job of bringing life to all of the fun, wacky characters in this book. His voice was clear and pleasant, and he performed with an impressive range of characters, and the appropriate emotion. I would not hesitate a second to purchase another audiobook narrated by Clark. 

This pairing of an amusing story and talented narrator made Cousins' Club a humorous and enjoyable audiobook, well worth the listen.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Quick Review: The Red Lotus, by Chris Bohjalian

The Red Lotus, by Chris Bohjalian

Random House Audio

Audiobook

12 Hours, 1 Minute

Narrated by Rebecca Lowman

*Quick Reviews are slightly less formal reviews using the publishers summary

Publisher's Summary:

The first time Alexis saw Austin, it was a Saturday night. Not in a bar, but in the emergency room where Alexis sutured a bullet wound in Austin's arm. Six months later, on the brink of falling in love, they travel to Vietnam on a bike tour so that Austin can show her his passion for cycling and he can pay his respects to the place where his father and uncle fought in the war. But as Alexis sips white wine and waits at the hotel for him to return from his solo ride, two men emerge from the tall grass and Austin vanishes into thin air. The only clue he leaves behind is a bright yellow energy gel dropped on the road.

As Alexis grapples with this bewildering loss, and deals with the FBI, Austin's prickly family, and her colleagues at the hospital, Alexis uncovers a series of strange lies that force her to wonder: Where did Austin go? Why did he really bring her to Vietnam? And how much danger has he left her in?

Set amidst the adrenaline-fueled world of the emergency room, The Red Lotus is a global thriller about those who dedicate their lives to saving people, and those who peddle death to the highest bidder.

My thoughts:

I always enjoy Chris Bohjalian's books.  I can count on him to write solid, engaging, stories. The Red Lotus may be a slow burn thriller, but I never felt bored with it.

Bohjalian knows how to draw a reader into a story and keep their attention! It is clear from the beginning of The Red Lotus, that Bohjalian has taken the time to do a significant amount of research for this book, ensuring medical, technical, and cultural aspects have a realistic feel to them. This, paired with his good sense of literary timing, results in a highly engaging story with a complex, well timed, and interesting plot.  The characters development is strong with the lead characters being multi-faceted and interesting. 

On a side note: this book was released in the midst of the pandemic. Though  while writing it I doubt Bohjalian could have ever imagined that this book would be released into the world enduring our current state of affairs, and the coincidence of some of the subject matter in the book was quite striking to me as a reader. 

Narration was provided by Rebecca Lowman, who performed well with good cadence and tone, as well as range of characters and emotion, making listening to this story as an audiobook a pleasure. 

Engaging and well written, The Red Lotus is an enjoyable international thriller.

Happy Reading,

Christine