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: '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: 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

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

TRICKSTER DRIFT, by Eden Robinson

TRICKSTER DRIFT, by Eden Robinson 

Penguin Random House Canada - Available October 2, 2018

My Rating (out of 5)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the second book in the TRICKSTER series. You can check out my review of the first book, SON OF A TRICKSTER in this post.

I enjoyed the first book - SON OF A TRICKSTER, but I enjoyed TRICKSTER DRIFT even more. 

Perhaps it was that having already been acquainted with the author's writing style and/or the characters. Perhaps I just felt more like cheering in Jared's corner as he is fighting so hard to maintain sobriety. Perhaps this book was just more magical to me.  Whatever the case may be, it is a stunning sequel. 

Jared is trying to move on with a "normal" life.  He has sworn off drugs and alcohol in an effort to keep the magical creatures that nearly undid him at bay. He tries to put distance between himself and the people who enabled his toxic lifestyle and has packed a bag and moved to Vancouver to attend school and start building a solid foundation for his future. 

But if he couldn't run and hide from his mother's psychotic ex David, he certainly couldn't run and hide from the magic creatures that tend to gravitate to him. Magic always finds him, and while he makes friends with and cares for some of these beings, some are still a real danger to him.  

Robinson's ability to weave traditional first nations mythology into a modern coming-of-age/fantasy/horror is a real gift.  I am looking forward to the final book in the series - RETURN OF THE TRICKSTER, as of this writing I was unable to find any information regarding the anticipated release date, but I know I will be keeping an eye out for it! 

According to the CBC, as reported in this article, a film deal is in the works for the trilogy!


Happy Reading,
Christine

Review: FEAST, by Broms the Poet

FEAST, by Broms the Poet

Jeff Bromley - 2018

My Rating (out of 5)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Poetry is not one of my usual genres, but I have been following Broms the Poet on social media for some time. He has quite a presence, with a large and loyal fan base on the major platforms, his short pieces appearing often on the  timelines of people all over the world.  I remember being shocked to discover that he wasn't from New York, or Toronto or any other huge city, but from my home of Winnipeg.

When he announced that he was having his work put into book form, I knew it would end up on my shelf. Since he is located locally, I had intended to get a copy of FEAST while attending one of his book signing events. But life gets in the way sometimes, and I have never made it. I gave up and decided to just buy it on my next trip to Chapters. I was delighted to find that they had signed copies available, so I bought one for myself and one for my eldest stepdaughter who enjoys poetry.

Let's be clear here - this is not the posh, high society, book of sonnets type of poetry. His poetry is real. It is visceral. It is borne from all that life has to offer - from the worst to the best.

Cover art for this collection is an anatomical heart on a platter. I fitting visual for a work that seems to offer up the poet's heart and soul, scars and all. This collection documents the poet's travel through darker times, by strength of spirit, to a place where optimism and love live. 

If you you would like to sample the Poet's work, you can easily find him on the major social media platforms. If you would like to own a copy of the collection,  you can order a copy from bromsthepoet.ca International shipping is available.

Happy Reading,

Christine

Review: SON OF A TRICKSTER, by Eden Robinson

SON OF A TRICKSTER, by Eden Robinson 

Penguin Random House 2017

 
















My Rating (out of 5)
⭐⭐⭐⭐

This was an interesting story, though not easy to categorize. It has been classified as a coming of age story, but it isn't as simple as just that. While it is part coming of age, it is also part fantasy/mythology/horror. 

Jared lives in a small town northern British Columbia close to the local reservation.  His family life is dysfunctional to say the least. The book starts with Jared stating that his grandmother does not like him.  His mother is a drug user/dealer with violent tendencies. Jared is constantly paying his father's rent and utility bills with money he makes selling marijuana infused cookies.  The most stable element of his home life, for a time, is his dog Baby, and Jared is devastated at the loss when she dies. Even though Jared is underage, he drinks a lot, and does a lot of drugs.

Despite the level of dysfunction in his family, Jared is a pretty good guy.  One of those kids who is incredibly compassionate and caring despite his home life, not because of it. The way he cares for and helps his elderly neighbors makes him a remarkably likeable character.

But that level of family dysfunction breaks a person on some level. When he starts seeing and hearing things like talking ravens, you wonder if is due to damage from the drugs and alcohol, or if he is mentally ill, but even those questions may have answers that are not so simple.

Robinson deftly and delicately inserts tiny little hints that there is more to the story. A single sentence here or there. Like a firefly's light - a brief flicker and then you cannot see it, but you know it is there. As you get a closer, it is a little easier to see.

I really enjoyed the way Robinson blended First Nations mythology with modern culture. 
SON OF A TRICKSTER is the first book in a planned trilogy.  The second book in the series TRICKSTER DRIFT is slated for Release October 2, 2018. I am looking forward to reading and reviewing that book as well. 

Happy Reading, 
Christine

Happy Birthday Rohinton MIstry!

Birth date of Rohinton Mistry - July 3

Today is the birth date of Rohinton Mistry.  

Mistry is the author of well known books such as A FINE BALANCE, SUCH A LONG JOURNEY, FAMILY MATTERS, and more. 

 

 

Rohinton Mistry was born in 1952 in Bombay, India.  In 1975 he emigrated to Canada. His work has earned him numerous awards, and a loyal following. 

I have read all three of the novels mentioned above, and they have all maintained a spot on my book shelf. They are deep and poetic and moving. 

Happy birthday Rohinton Mistry!

Happy Canada Day!

HAPPY CANADA DAY!

Hoping my fellow Canadians are enjoying their Canada Day weekend! If you can enjoy a good book by a Canadian author, even better!  I am currently reading SON OF A TRICKSTER, by Eden Robinson.

Some of my favorite books by Canadian Authors

Happy Canada Day Reading!

Christine

THE HOME FOR UNWANTED GIRLS, by Joanna Goodman

THE HOME FOR UNWANTED GIRLS, by Joanna Goodman

HarperAudio 2018
Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

My Rating (out of 5)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Can-Lit at its absolute finest!

One of the most profoundly moving novels I have read or listened to this year ever! 

This story begins in 1950's Quebec, where people are divided between the French speaking and English speaking.  Fifteen year old Maggie Hughes Father is English, but her Mother is French.  The language tension even permeates their home. Maggie's Father makes it clear that he would never approve of a Frenchman for her, and especially not the poor French boy next door.  But Maggie is headstrong and not one to go along without question, and she dates the handsome neighbor Gabriel anyways. 

When Maggie's Parents discover she is dating him they pack her off to live with relatives, forcing her and Gabriel apart. Not long after arriving at her relatives farm, it is discovered that Maggie is pregnant. Being the 1950's, and her being a young, unwed mother, she was forced to give up the child to avoid scandal.

At this point the story splits into alternating narrations about Maggie, and Elodie the daughter Maggie was forced to give up.  

Elodie grows up in the cruel and underfunded orphanage system, until a change in funding legislation results in things getting worse, as almost all orphanages are converted to mental hospitals, and all orphans within being labeled as mental patients. Elodie knows she does not belong in a mental hospital, but there is nothing she can do. But she dreams of someday finding her Mother or other relatives.

Maggie never forgets the baby she was forced to give up.  Ultimately she marries, but the hole in her life that is Elodie's absence is ever present.  One day she meets Gabriel again, and realizes that she still has feelings for him. At this point Maggie decides that she is not willing to live by other peoples rules anymore, and she is determined to take her life back and fight the system that seems designed to punish the mothers and the children they gave up.

The most heart-wrenching aspect of this story, is that it was based on real events.  The cruelty of the orphanages and the conversion to mental hospitals is real history.  How many perfectly healthy children were abused in these places?  How many were never able to get over the emotional damage and/or the stigma associated with mental illness at the time? As much as this story is heartbreaking though, in the end it is also a story of human resilience and the human spirit, and the oh-so-often unbreakable bond between mother and child.

 

The narration of this story was excellent and did this deeply moving book justice. Saskia Maarleveld was able to seamlessly move from non-accented English, to French, to French-accented English seemingly effortlessly.  

 

If you are looking for a Can-Lit title to get into for the upcoming Canada Day long weekend, I strongly recommend this one!

Happy Reading eh!
Christine