From the Ashes: My Story of Being M�tis, Homeless, and Finding My Way - Jesse Thistle

n#1 National Bestseller n Finalist, Kobo Emerging Writer Prize n Finalist, CBC Canada Reads n A Globe and Mail Book of the Year n An Indigo Book of the Year n A CBC Best Canadian Nonfiction Book of the Year nIn 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. n nIf 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. n n From the Ashes is a remarkable memoir about hope and resilience, and a revelatory look into the life of a M tis-Cree man who refused to give up. n n 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. n n 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. n n 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.n