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: Flat Broke With Two Goat's A Memoir - By Jennifer McGaha

Flat Broke With Two Goat's, A Memoir
By Jennifer McGaha
Audiobook - Tantor Audio 2018
Performed by Pam Ward
An Overdrive "Big Library Read" selection

My Rating (Out of 5)
⭐⭐⭐⭐

A well written memoir about losing it all, and in the process connecting to what is really important.

Jennifer McGaha and her husband used to live in middle-class suburb. She went on vacations, her children attended private schools, there were two cars in the driveway. When the recession hit, she knew things were a little tight, but left financial details to her husband (an accountant) to sort out. Ultimately Jennifer learns that not only are they struggling to meet their monthly obligations, they have not paid their taxes in four years. Out of money, and out of options, their house being foreclosed on, and deeply in debt to the IRS, they find themselves living in a century old cabin in the woods.

I found the writing itself to be very good - As she was an adjunct writing professor I would not expect less - but it seemed to me that during this entire story, she really does grow and change as a person. No longer the short sighted, breezy suburban housewife who was happy to leave the managing of money to her husband; she became strong, able to seek out answers for problems,  a responsible homesteader.  During this process, she discovers deep, forgotten connections to her husband, her animals, the land, and her family. To me it was a story of perseverance, and self discovery. About surviving what so many of us fear in the economic climate we live in.

The narrator, Pam Ward, had a warm voice well suited to this piece. You really felt like you could sit and sip iced tea while she told you this story.

As an Overdrive Big Library Read, there was an online discussion forum. It seemed to me that most people either loved or hated this book. I personally fell on the side of loving it.

Happy Reading!
Teenie