From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle

 

From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle

Title:  From the Ashes

Author: Jesse Thistle

Read by:  Jesse Thistle

Publisher: Simon & Shuster Audio

Length: Approximately 9 hours and 55 minutes

Source: Review Copy from Simon & Shuster Audio.  Thank-you! 

 What book by or about Indigenous people have you read or is on your "to read" list?

 At the start of June, I read the sad news story of the remains of 215 Indigenous children that were found at a boarding school in Canada. It inspired me to read From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle. I first learned about these boarding schools as an adult teaching at a local college. A couple of my students told me about how they had existed in Wisconsin and had wiped out much of their tribal culture. I was horrified.

 From the Ashes is author Jesse Thistle's memoir of what it was like going up Indigenous, but not knowing about his culture. He had a very hard life and always felt displaced. The police took custody of him and his two older brothers one day when his dad didn't return home. Jesse was three years old. His paternal Grandparents raised him until he disobeyed their rules and was found with drugs. He was kicked out and homeless.

 Jesse spiraled into years of drugs, homelessness, and bad decisions. It was hard to read about. He finally was able to turn it around and pull himself back up into a good life filled with love. He reconnected with his mother and learned the history of his people. He earned a college degree and married the woman he loved. He is now an expert on homelessness in Indigenous cultures. It was very inspiring, and I would love to read more from Jesse Thistle.

 I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by the author Jesse Thistle. I always love when an audiobook is narrated by the actual author, especially a memoir.

 Overall, From the Ashes was a very inspiring and heartfelt read.