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: To The River: Losing My Brother, by Don Gillmor

To The River: Losing My Brother,  by Don Gillmor

Random House Canada - 2018
Non-Fiction
Audiobook
Narrated by Michael Riley

5 hours, 17 minutes

Winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for Non-Fiction 2019 this book is my choice for #19 - The Winner is...Read a book shortlisted for a major literary award on my 20 For 2020 Reading Challenge. You can see the whole challenge HERE.

A moving tribute to a man lost to suicide and the family he left behind. 

There are three main aspects to this book. The first is a memorial of sorts and a look at what caused David Gillmor to leave behind his family and take his own life. The second part is a heartfelt look at the effects of suicide on the family and loved ones left behind, and the third is a presentation and well researched  examination of why baby boomers - particularly the men, have come to have the fastest rising suicide rates. 

One would think that a book about the writer's loss of a sibling to suicide would have a dark, oppressive feel to it.  That is not the case. While Gillmor's book is heartbreaking, it is not without beauty and hope, and even - at times, humor. Perhaps that is due to this book being published 10 years after David Gillmor's death. Don Gillmor seems to be writing from a place where the wounds while still there, are not quite so raw.  

Don Gillmor's brother David disappeared one day, leaving behind his truck and his hat, and some footprints on the half-frozen Yukon River near the town of Whitehorse. In doing so he left behind more questions than answers, and the family was left in a sort of limbo as nobody could even confirm his death. They were forced to wait as the river's secrets remained locked in ice until the spring thaw six months later. When the waters did thaw, Don embarked on what was to be a canoe trip to look for any trace of his missing brother, but David's body was recovered before Don could dip his paddle into the water, and he received the news shortly after arriving in Whitehorse. The remainder of the trip was Don's exercise in mourning and an attempt to understand. 

With the warmth of nostalgia, Don Gillmor takes us back to the beginning; the early days of their childhood in Winnipeg. What set David apart from Don and the other neighborhood kids?  From there examines their lives through growing up, from moves to Calgary and beyond, and the growing challenges and responsibilities of adulthood. 

Gillmor then calls on his gift of prose to explain what was like for him and his surviving family after David's body was recovered. His ability to express the complicated emotions and impact on the remaining family resonated powerfully with me as a reader. 

Finally, Gillmor expands past his family's own heartbreak and discusses in more general terms the personal, professional and socio-economic pressures and triggers that are contributing to a higher than ever suicide rate among middle aged men. 

Narration was by Michael Riley and was well suited to the subject matter of the book, and was delivered with a clear voice and pleasant tone and cadence.

To The River is a beautiful and meaningful tribute to one man, and a thoughtful look at a growing social issue. It is touching, it is informative, and it is powerful. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: When We Were Vikings, by Andrew David MacDonald

When We Were Vikings, by Andrew David MacDonald

Gallery Scout Press - Available January 28, 2020
Fiction - Literary
Print
336 Pages

* I received a review copy of this book courtesy of Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

A brilliant and charming tale of a modern day viking.

Zelda is a viking enthusiast.  She has read everything she can about them, and tries to lives according to the viking code. She is fiercely loyal to her tribe, and she is a warrior of sorts. 

Zelda was born with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.  When her mother died, and living with their abusive uncle did not work out, it was up to her brother Gert to take care of her. For a while everything was good. But when Gert starts associating with the wrong kind of people, and trying to make money by questionable means,  Zelda embarks on a quest to protect the tribe, and save them both. 

This story was a touching and refreshing look at the struggles of a neurodiverse person in today's world. MacDonald has written a character that although afflicted with FASD, is not defined by it.  She is whole and multi-faceted, easily likable, and despite what cognitive challenges she does have, she also has a certain insight into the world around her.  

The marketing blurb indicates that this book is a good choice for people who enjoyed The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night-Time, by Mark Haddon. While I more often than not find these comparisons to be a distant reach at best, I think this time it is an appropriate comparison.  The Characters Zelda and Christopher both have a sort of cut-and-dry, no-nonsense charm to them, they both work hard to be fit into a world that doesn't really understand them, and they are both immensely likable.  

When We Were Vikings is a thoughtful and poignant tale of what it means to be a true warrior, and tells us that we can all be legendary if we try. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: 'A brightness Long Ago, by Guy Gavriel Kay

A Brightness Long Ago, by Guy Gavriel Kay

Viking - 2019
Fiction - Historical, Fantasy
Print
448 Pages

Set in a land reminiscent of Italy centuries ago, a man - Danio Cerra, tells the stories of his past and the people and events the fates used to shape his life and the times. 

It starts when he is barely more than a boy, working at the court of  a count so sadistic, he is referred to as "the beast".  He sees Adria, a woman he knows to have ulterior motives enter the count's chambers. He knows she is there to kill. Adria makes a quick escape, but it is not the last either Danio or the reader see of of her. 

As the story continues, we also meet a young, but tremendously skilled healer, and two army commanders who are fierce adversaries. Each of these characters enters and exits through the story several times, and each of them are changing the world as they know it, and being changed by it. 

For me, the fantasy aspect of this story was a little more subtle than I would like. I fell in love with one of Kay's previous works - a trilogy called The Fionavar Tapestry, and it is to this day one of my favorite books/series of all time. A Brightness Long Ago was not like the the Fionavar Tapestry, woven thick with fantasy. This was a piece of historical fiction with subtle threads of the fantastical woven into it.   I am not a particularly great fan of Historical Fiction per se; but one cannot deny the quality of Kay's prose for this book. It is lyrical, and has great depth. It is a story examines what it is to be an individual forging one's way in the world, how the memories made one day shape our decisions the next, and in the end, mold us into who we are to become.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The Innocents, by Michael Crummey

The Innocents, by Michael Crummey

Doubleday Canada - 2019
Fiction - Literary/Historical
Print

304 Pages
Longlisted for The ScotiaBank Giller Prize 2019

* I received this ARC courtesy of Doubleday/Penguin Random House Canada in exchange of an honest review. This does not influence the following opinions which are my own.

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Innocents, by Michael Crummey is a study in contrasts. At once heartbreaking and heartwarming, instilling both a sense of hopelessness and hopefulness in the reader. It has both a richness and a starkness to it. 

Long ago, in a remote coastal area of Northern Newfoundland, far from any other people, a family struggles for survival. When first the mother, and then the father succumb to illness, their two young children Ava and Evared must fend for themselves in this unforgiving environment. 

Before passing, their parents passed on what little key information they had time to impart. With no knowledge of the greater world beyond, Ada and Evared struggle to survive in the tiny shack, facing unpredictable feast and famine, short summers, long winters, illness, and raging storms.

Twice a year they are able to trade with a supply ship, but other than that, they are each other's only companions, and their relationship is both simpler and more complicated due to their isolation. Both their relationship and their struggle to survive is further complicated by the changes they undergo both physically and emotionally as they approach adulthood.

Historical fiction is not one of my go-to genres, but there was something about the synopsis for this story that intrigued me - and I am glad it did. Crummey's prose is rich with depth beauty even while painting a stark and unforgiving picture. It is easy to see how he has become one of Canada's most respected writers. Crummey's previous works have been shortlisted for some of the most prestigious awards in Canadian literature, including the Scotiabank Giller Prize, The Rogers Writer's Trust Fiction Prize, The Commonwealth Writer's Prize, and the Governor General's Literary Award, as well as others.

The innocents was a deeply engaging and moving novel of survival in a time as hard as  rocky shores of Newfoundland where the story is set.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The Conjoined, by Jen Sookfong Lee

The Conjoined, by Jen Sookfong Lee

ECW Press
General Fiction
Audiobook
Narrated by Sabryn Rock

7 Hours, 26 Minutes

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

A well written story of family, heartbreak, love, and legacy in all their many and complicated forms.  

Like most kids, Jessica Campbell grew up believing in the inherent goodness of her parents - especially her mother who devoted herself to fostered children from troubled homes, often themselves somewhat troubled. Her mother's work as a foster parent is what inspired Jessica to become a social worker - to help. 

After her mother loses her battle with cancer, Jessica is helping her father empty the family home as he downsizes. Imagine the shock when the bodies of two young girls are found in a freezer in the basement.  Jessica remembers two sisters - children of troubled Chinese immigrants,  that were staying with the family before disappearing many years before and were assumed to have run away.  

What follows is a search for answers. Who were these girls really? Who was her mother really?  How can she reconcile what she knew of her mother against the backdrop of finding these two bodies, stored in the family home all those years? In reexamining the past, Jessica must also reexamine who she truly is in the present. 

The story is told in alternating time lines.  Little by little we learn of what led to these young girls being taken into the system, and how easily their disappearance was written off as "just a couple of runaways". Lee's approach to the story made the book very readable, despite some very disturbing themes. 

This book may be a work of fiction, but it is also a social commentary on the issues facing society in regards to protecting children who are at risk due to unstable family situations. Lee does a fine job of portraying the difficulties of providing proper care for at risk families in a system that is burdened well beyond its limits.

Narration was provided by Sabryn Rock with good cadence and tone, and good range of character and emotion. Her performance was well suited to the story.

A profound and moving novel, well written and delivered.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: Brother, by David Chariandy

Brother, by David Chariandy

Penguin Random House Canada Audio - 2017
General Fiction
Audiobook
Narrated by Joseph Pierre

4 Hours, 9 Minutes

Short-listed for CBC's 2019 Canada Reads, Winner of the 2017 Rogers Writers Trust Fiction Prize, Scotiabank Giller Prize nominee 2017

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story of a first generation Canadian - a young black man, and his family, living in a cycle of racism, poverty and violence. A wake-up call to to Canadians who think that racism is not an issue here.

Michael and his brother Francis were both born in Canada. They were being raised by their mother who immigrated from Trinidad in hopes of a better future for herself and her children. That promise of a better future and all the hopes that went with it remained unfulfilled though. Their father left the family when the boys were very young, and poverty, racism, and violence were everyday experiences for the family - a cycle that some die from, and few escape from unscathed.

Told in shifting time lines, the story follows Michael as he recounts growing up at the side of his big brother Francis, as close and loving as brothers can be, and the days leading up to Francis' death in an act of violence.
 
"He was my brother. The one who told me about lightning and girls. The one who crouched beside me in hideouts when we were little. His shoulder thin and bare against mine, his body always just a skin away."

Beautifully written, this bittersweet story could be the story of any one of thousands of immigrant/first generation Canadian families. It is a story of unfulfilled potential and promise and a story of grief. It is also a story of love and hope and resilience. It is a story that reminds us of how society shapes the future of our youth. While the characters and events in this story were fictional, the social issues addressed in this story are very real.

While the subject is heartrendingly sad, it is told with beautiful prose. Short but emotionally intense, I can see why it was chosen as one of the  short-listed books for this year's Canada Reads on CBC, with this year's theme being "One book to move you". I can certainly say that I was moved.

This book was narrated by Joseph Pierre. Cadence and tone were pleasant and he performed with a good range of character and emotion. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: The Grimoire of Kensington Market, by Lauren B. Davis

The Grimoire of Kensington Market, by Lauren B. Davis

Recorded Books - 2019

Audiobook - 11 Hours, 3 Minutes
Narrated by Linda Jones

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Davis has created a stunning modern day fairy tale based on the classic story The Snow Queen, updated and relevant to today's society. Delicately nuanced and moving, it is a must read for those who love fairy tale retellings.

The Grimoire holds the worlds stories - all the stories. New stories arrive in a twinkle of light, and when the last person to remember a story dies, the book fades away by flame.  Maggie is the proprietor of this magical bookshop and caretaker of the world's tales.

"People didn't wander into The Grimoire, it wasn't that sort of bookshop. People found it by some force even Maggie the proprietor didn't understand. If one was meant to find the shop one did, otherwise it was unnoticeable."

Toronto is in the grips of an drug epidemic. Elysium a drug created by the silver world's Queen Srebrenka is highly addictive, and Srebrenka uses it to lure people into her silver world. While Maggie managed to recover from her addiction and escape Srebrenka's grasp, her brother Kyle has not. Srebrenka tries to lure Maggie back, but Maggie always resists and prevails. But when she receives messages from her brother asking for her help, she is overwhelmed by love and a sense of duty to her brother, and so she sets off into the magical silver world to rescue him. 

I cannot say enough about this wonderful story. A fairy tale for adults - yes, but so much more than that too. It is filled with scenes and quotes to warm a bibliophile's heart 💓. It is fantastical, magical tale of love and survival that parallels the dark horrors of drug addiction in real life - a subject near and dear to the author's heart as she lost her brother to addiction/suicide.  I can't imagine a more beautiful tribute than this exquisite and moving story. 

Narration was provided by Linda Jones who did a wonderful job. She has a lovely warm speaking voice that  was well suited to this story. Good cadence and tone, with very good range of emotion and character.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: WASHINGTON BLACK, by Esi Edugyan

WASHINGTON BLACK, by Esi Edugyan

Audiobook

HarperAudio - 2018

Narrated by Dion Graham

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐

Okay, so unpopular opinion time. I didn't love it. It was good, but for myself - it just didn't live up to all the hype. Shortlisted for both the Man Booker and The Giller prizes (among others), this book is getting lots of attention, and I probably wouldn't have picked it up otherwise.

 I had always said that I "don't read Historical Fiction", but after straying into the genre to read books like the wildly popular CanLit title THE HOME FOR UNWANTED GIRLS,  by Joanna Goodman, and the wildly under-popular WHAT BLOOMS FROM DUST, by James Markert and loving them both (I gave them each 5 stars), I thought maybe it was time to consider that perhaps my reading tastes are evolving. Certainly I am more inclined to give some consideration to Historical Fiction titles now, but this book reminded me of why I always shied away from the genre in the past, and why I should be careful when choosing from this genre that is not my norm. 

For me the book started out strong, flattened in the middle, and fizzled a bit at the end.  

The story starts with our protagonist Washington Black as a youth who is a slave on a plantation in Barbados. When the master dies, his two sons arrive on the plantation. His eldest son Erasmus Wilde is the new, harsher master and life for the slaves becomes even more cruel. Washington is taken under wing by Erasmus' younger, abolitionist brother, Christopher "Titch" Wilde under the pretext of using him as an assistant. 

When Erasmus and Titch's cousin comes to visit and dies suddenly on the plantation with only Washington as witness, Titch and Washington escape together, but eventually Washington is abandoned by Titch and he is left on his own to make his way. In time slavery is abolished, and Washington ultimately tracks down Titch and confronts him while also confronting his own past in the process.

Perhaps I missed some things, but there seemed to be loose ends that just were not resolved sufficiently and near the end there were elements that did not "fit" with the overall story (Those who read it will know what I mean regardless of whether they agree or disagree with my opinion).

Edugyan clearly has a gift. My initial impression was one of well written prose and strong characters, but when I look back at the story as a whole, I cannot say I loved it.

The narration by Dion Graham was very good, with a pleasant voice and excellent range of character and emotion. 

Happy Reading,

Christine

THE SATURDAY NIGHT GHOST CLUB, by Craig Davidson

THE SATURDAY NIGHT GHOST CLUB, by Craig Davidson

Penguin Random House -  2018

Narrated by Corey Brill

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I simply cannot express how much I enjoyed this story. 

The summer Jake Baker turned twelve years old, he spent a lot of time with his eccentric and quirky uncle Calvin, proprietor of the local occult shop. It is also the summer he met some of his closest life-long friends and the summer that he fell in love for the first time. Together they created the Saturday Night Ghost Club, and explored local landmarks in their town of Niagara Falls - A.K.A. Cataract City (a nod to Davidson's previous work short-listed for the Giller Prize), and the ghostly legend attached to them. Jake learns much about life that summer, including the fact that even urban legends sometimes contain a grain of truth.  

This book is so much more than it appears on its cover.  Told in alternating time lines between the young Jake and the grown up Jake who became a neurosurgeon, it explores the relationship between mind, memory, and the delicate nature of the organ that holds them. it  is testimony to both the strength and fragility of the human spirit.  It is filled with heartbreak and hope. 

This is one of those stories that i picked up for one reason, but will carry with me as part of my being for many more.  I am not surprised that this book is shortlisted for the Roger's Writer's Trust Award this year. The writing is powerful, yet delicate. 

Narration was provided by Cory Brill - who has an impressive list of acting and narrating credits to his name. His performance was on point and his voice was the perfect match for this breathtaking story. 

This beautiful story has secured a place in my favorite reads of 2018. I cannot recommend it enough.

Happy Reading,
Christine