From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle

Release: June 8, 2021
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Atria Books
Source: Suzyapproved Book Tours
Find it at: Goodreads, Amazon, Kindle, Audible, B&N, Kobo, TBD

His parents abandoned Jessie as a toddler. Jesse Thistle and his two brothers went into isolation from all they knew when they were placed in the foster care system. Eventually they settled with their paternal grandparents. The children often clashed with their tough-love attitude. Worse, the ghost of Jesse’s drug-addicted father haunted the memories of every member of the family.

Soon, Jesse succumbed to a self-destructive cycle of drug and alcohol addiction and petty crime. Thus resulting in more than a decade living on and off the streets. Facing struggles many of us cannot even imagine, Jesse knew he would die unless he turned his life around. Through sheer perseverance and newfound love, he managed to find his way back into the loving embrace of his Indigenous culture and family.

About the Author:

Jesse Thistle is Métis-Cree, from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, and an assistant professor in Humanities at York University in Toronto. From the Ashes was the top-selling Canadian book in 2020, the winner of the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Nonfiction, Indigenous Voices Award, and High Plains Book Award, and also a finalist for CBC Canada Reads. Jesse won a Governor General’s Academic Medal in 2016, and is a Pierre Elliot Trudeau Foundation Scholar and a Vanier Scholar. A frequent keynote speaker, he lives in Hamilton, Ontario, with his wife, Lucie, and is at work on multiple projects, including his next book. Visit him at www.JesseThistle.com ..

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From the Ashes Review:

Initially, when I started reading this book, it seemed interesting. I connected with Jesse from the beginning and felt for the character when the foster home took him. The first few chapters are family-friendly as the author experiences school life and its challenges. I loved reading something new in each chapter, whether facing challenges with his stuttering or having trouble with the grades. Some parts were also entertaining, like when he tries to talk to girls or meet the Punjabi boy. I liked how the author brought his native roots into the story and how he felt like an outsider and dealt with it.

Yet, I didn’t know if the memoir would be impactful from how it starts. Boy, was I wrong! The book gets compelling when Jesse does something terrible and kicked out. Some of these scenes were difficult to read, especially when he consorts to begging and is attacked by hitchhikers. The penultimate moment is when Jesse has to go to the police to report a murder and talks to the forensics unit. When you think that things cannot worsen for Jesse, he finds himself in dire situations. My heart went out to him, and it was powerful to see how he faced his challenges to turn his life around.

I loved the supporting characters, too, like Grandma, Grandpa, and Leeroy. Leeroy, notably, was one of my favorite characters because he stuck by Jesse no matter what. The author highlights the struggles he faced in a gripping manner, and reading this book was a motivation for me to be hopeful about overcoming any challenges.

Overall, “From The Ashes” became a powerful read and one of the best memoirs I have read this year. I highly recommend it to those looking for a motivational read.