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A review by laurapk
From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way by Jesse Thistle
4.0
4.5 stars in my opinion. I read memoirs of recovering addicts, but they were all people with a financially stable family to support them and catch them when they fell. I wondered how the story of an addict without support would look like, and it turns out, not as different as I've thought, once the addiction kicks in. What differs is the path into addiction, but the way out is always paved by people willing to listen, support and offer a second chance. Without love, the wounds will never heal.
The concept of rock bottom is a myth. There is no lower point, there is always a lower point (excepting death). The path to recovery is always tortuous and with a lot, a lot of dead ends. What was impressive in this story though was how much more determination and self control was required for the author to pull himself up and out of addiction. Jesse Thistle had all the cards stacked against him: he was half metis-cre, his father (a white man) was an addict (self-fulfillment prophecies are dangerous, yet many families can't help but throw them at their children), he was abused as a child in foster care before his grandparents stepped in, he didn't finish high-school and could barely read and write. He was on a collision course with early death and only managed to escape with his life because of small acts of kindness from strangers or friends along the way.
There were very few faults I could find with the book. It had some beautiful language, and some genuine moments of emotions, but the delivery (especially the audio book) was at times flat. I suspect this is a mechanism of self-protection the author employs when dealing with some raw memories, and I completely understand it. I did however want to understand Lucy a bit more. She seems to be such an important part of the recovery process, yet I was a bit curious about who she was and why did she, a distant school mate, have so much empathy and trust in Jesse? There may be parts the author omitted to protect her.
I did love the parallel between the author discovering his native roots and the ultimate solidification of his sobriety. It speaks volume about the importance of knowing and understanding our past, in order to become healthy adults. And it also highlights - again - why the Canadian residency schools were such an abomination.
Highly recommend it, but a strong stomach is needed at times. Fret not, it has some genuine fun and hear warming moments as well.
The concept of rock bottom is a myth. There is no lower point, there is always a lower point (excepting death). The path to recovery is always tortuous and with a lot, a lot of dead ends. What was impressive in this story though was how much more determination and self control was required for the author to pull himself up and out of addiction. Jesse Thistle had all the cards stacked against him: he was half metis-cre, his father (a white man) was an addict (self-fulfillment prophecies are dangerous, yet many families can't help but throw them at their children), he was abused as a child in foster care before his grandparents stepped in, he didn't finish high-school and could barely read and write. He was on a collision course with early death and only managed to escape with his life because of small acts of kindness from strangers or friends along the way.
There were very few faults I could find with the book. It had some beautiful language, and some genuine moments of emotions, but the delivery (especially the audio book) was at times flat. I suspect this is a mechanism of self-protection the author employs when dealing with some raw memories, and I completely understand it. I did however want to understand Lucy a bit more. She seems to be such an important part of the recovery process, yet I was a bit curious about who she was and why did she, a distant school mate, have so much empathy and trust in Jesse? There may be parts the author omitted to protect her.
I did love the parallel between the author discovering his native roots and the ultimate solidification of his sobriety. It speaks volume about the importance of knowing and understanding our past, in order to become healthy adults. And it also highlights - again - why the Canadian residency schools were such an abomination.
Highly recommend it, but a strong stomach is needed at times. Fret not, it has some genuine fun and hear warming moments as well.