Listen free for 30 days
-
From the Ashes
- My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way
- Narrated by: Jesse Thistle
- Length: 9 hrs and 55 mins
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $19.42
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
Publisher's Summary
- Winner, Kobo Emerging Writer Prize Nonfiction
- Winner, Indigenous Voices Awards
- Winner, High Plains Book Awards
- 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
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 heart-warming 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.
You may also enjoy...
-
Scars and Stars
- Written by: Jesse Thistle
- Narrated by: Jesse Thistle
- Length: 2 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fans of Jesse Thistle’s extraordinary debut From the Ashes have already had the pleasure of knowing his poetry. In Scars and Stars, he digs deeper into the poetic form, which is especially close to his heart. Charting his own history, the stories of people from his past, the burning intensity of new and unexpected love, the complex legacies of family and community, and the beauty of parenthood, this collection is a profound mediation that expands his engagement with the ideas and experiences that have shaped his body of work thus far.
-
-
Lovely!
- By Jeanguy Turmelle on 2023-09-11
Written by: Jesse Thistle
-
Five Little Indians
- A Novel
- Written by: Michelle Good
- Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Taken from their families when they are very small and sent to a remote, church-run residential school, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie and Maisie are barely out of childhood when they are finally released after years of detention. Alone and without any skills, support or families, the teens find their way to the seedy and foreign world of Downtown Eastside Vancouver, where they cling together, striving to find a place of safety and belonging in a world that doesn’t want them.
-
-
great book, needs better narration
- By Tawny McC on 2020-09-15
Written by: Michelle Good
-
They Called Me Number One
- Secrets and Survival at an Indian Residential School
- Written by: Bev Sellars
- Narrated by: Bev Sellars
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Like thousands of Aboriginal children in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere in the colonized world, Xatsu'll chief Bev Sellars spent part of her childhood as a student in a church-run residential school. These institutions endeavored to "civilize" Native children through Christian teachings; forced separation from family, language, and culture; and strict discipline. In this frank and poignant memoir of her years at St. Joseph's Mission, Sellars breaks her silence about the residential school's lasting effects on her and her family and eloquently articulates her own path to healing.
-
-
Thank You!
- By Julia on 2019-02-23
Written by: Bev Sellars
-
Red River Girl
- The Life and Death of Tina Fontaine
- Written by: Joanna Jolly
- Narrated by: Penelope Rawlins
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On August 17, 2014, the body of 15-year old runaway Tina Fontaine was found in Winnipeg's Red River. It was wrapped in material and weighted down with rocks. Red River Girl is a gripping account of that murder investigation and the unusual police detective who pursued the killer with every legal means at his disposal. The audiobook, like the movie Spotlight, chronicles the behind-the-scenes stages of a lengthy and meticulously planned investigation. It reveals characters and social tensions that bring vivid life to a story that made national headlines.
-
-
Hard to Hear but Important
- By Trillium25 on 2020-07-14
Written by: Joanna Jolly
-
Stories of Métis Women
- Tales My Kookum Told Me
- Written by: Bailey Oster - editor, Marilyn Lizee - editor
- Narrated by: Lorene Shyba
- Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book is a collection of stories about culture, history, and nationhood as told by Métis women.
-
-
I enjoyed the views of different people's, and the history behind it.
- By Annonymous. on 2024-01-29
Written by: Bailey Oster - editor, and others
-
The Spark
- A Mother's Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism
- Written by: Kristine Barnett
- Narrated by: Kathe Mazur
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kristine Barnett’s son Jacob has an IQ higher than Einstein’s, a photographic memory, and he taught himself calculus in two weeks. At 9 he started working on an original theory in astrophysics that experts believe may someday put him in line for a Nobel Prize, and at age 12 he became a paid researcher in quantum physics. But the story of Kristine’s journey with Jake is all the more remarkable because his extraordinary mind was almost lost to autism. At age 2, when Jake was diagnosed, Kristine was told he might never be able to tie his own shoes.
Written by: Kristine Barnett
-
Scars and Stars
- Written by: Jesse Thistle
- Narrated by: Jesse Thistle
- Length: 2 hrs and 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fans of Jesse Thistle’s extraordinary debut From the Ashes have already had the pleasure of knowing his poetry. In Scars and Stars, he digs deeper into the poetic form, which is especially close to his heart. Charting his own history, the stories of people from his past, the burning intensity of new and unexpected love, the complex legacies of family and community, and the beauty of parenthood, this collection is a profound mediation that expands his engagement with the ideas and experiences that have shaped his body of work thus far.
-
-
Lovely!
- By Jeanguy Turmelle on 2023-09-11
Written by: Jesse Thistle
-
Five Little Indians
- A Novel
- Written by: Michelle Good
- Narrated by: Kyla Garcia
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Taken from their families when they are very small and sent to a remote, church-run residential school, Kenny, Lucy, Clara, Howie and Maisie are barely out of childhood when they are finally released after years of detention. Alone and without any skills, support or families, the teens find their way to the seedy and foreign world of Downtown Eastside Vancouver, where they cling together, striving to find a place of safety and belonging in a world that doesn’t want them.
-
-
great book, needs better narration
- By Tawny McC on 2020-09-15
Written by: Michelle Good
-
They Called Me Number One
- Secrets and Survival at an Indian Residential School
- Written by: Bev Sellars
- Narrated by: Bev Sellars
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Like thousands of Aboriginal children in the United States, Canada, and elsewhere in the colonized world, Xatsu'll chief Bev Sellars spent part of her childhood as a student in a church-run residential school. These institutions endeavored to "civilize" Native children through Christian teachings; forced separation from family, language, and culture; and strict discipline. In this frank and poignant memoir of her years at St. Joseph's Mission, Sellars breaks her silence about the residential school's lasting effects on her and her family and eloquently articulates her own path to healing.
-
-
Thank You!
- By Julia on 2019-02-23
Written by: Bev Sellars
-
Red River Girl
- The Life and Death of Tina Fontaine
- Written by: Joanna Jolly
- Narrated by: Penelope Rawlins
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
On August 17, 2014, the body of 15-year old runaway Tina Fontaine was found in Winnipeg's Red River. It was wrapped in material and weighted down with rocks. Red River Girl is a gripping account of that murder investigation and the unusual police detective who pursued the killer with every legal means at his disposal. The audiobook, like the movie Spotlight, chronicles the behind-the-scenes stages of a lengthy and meticulously planned investigation. It reveals characters and social tensions that bring vivid life to a story that made national headlines.
-
-
Hard to Hear but Important
- By Trillium25 on 2020-07-14
Written by: Joanna Jolly
-
Stories of Métis Women
- Tales My Kookum Told Me
- Written by: Bailey Oster - editor, Marilyn Lizee - editor
- Narrated by: Lorene Shyba
- Length: 3 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This book is a collection of stories about culture, history, and nationhood as told by Métis women.
-
-
I enjoyed the views of different people's, and the history behind it.
- By Annonymous. on 2024-01-29
Written by: Bailey Oster - editor, and others
-
The Spark
- A Mother's Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism
- Written by: Kristine Barnett
- Narrated by: Kathe Mazur
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kristine Barnett’s son Jacob has an IQ higher than Einstein’s, a photographic memory, and he taught himself calculus in two weeks. At 9 he started working on an original theory in astrophysics that experts believe may someday put him in line for a Nobel Prize, and at age 12 he became a paid researcher in quantum physics. But the story of Kristine’s journey with Jake is all the more remarkable because his extraordinary mind was almost lost to autism. At age 2, when Jake was diagnosed, Kristine was told he might never be able to tie his own shoes.
Written by: Kristine Barnett
-
Life in the City of Dirty Water
- A Memoir of Healing
- Written by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
- Narrated by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
- Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There have been many Clayton Thomas-Mullers: The child who played with toy planes as an escape from domestic and sexual abuse, enduring the intergenerational trauma of Canada's residential school system; the angry youngster who defended himself with fists and sharp wit against racism and violence, at school and on the streets of Winnipeg and small-town British Columbia; the tough teenager who, at 17, managed a drug house run by members of his family, and slipped in and out of juvie, operating in a world of violence and pain.
-
-
Both insightful snd hopeful
- By Debra Ransom on 2024-10-09
Written by: Clayton Thomas-Muller
-
In My Own Moccasins
- A Memoir of Resilience
- Written by: Helen Knott
- Narrated by: Helen Knott
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Helen Knott, a highly accomplished Indigenous woman, seems to have it all. But in her memoir, she offers a different perspective. In My Own Moccasins is an unflinching account of addiction, intergenerational trauma, and the wounds brought on by sexual violence. It is also the story of sisterhood, the power of ceremony, the love of family, and the possibility of redemption.
-
-
Heart-wretchingly Honest
- By Julia Mark on 2021-12-12
Written by: Helen Knott
-
Indian Horse
- A Novel
- Written by: Richard Wagamese
- Narrated by: Jason Ryll
- Length: 6 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Saul Indian Horse is in critical condition. Sitting feeble in an alcoholism treatment facility, he is told that sharing his story will help relieve his agony. Though skeptical, he embarks on a heartbreaking journey from the present - and into the woods of Northern Ontario, where his life began in a snowy Ojibway camp. The tale that follows is one of great pain and great determination from Richard Wagamese, an author who "never seems to waste a shot" ( New York Times).
-
-
Heart wrenching and Humbling
- By Anonymous User on 2018-11-11
Written by: Richard Wagamese
-
The North-West Is Our Mother
- The Story of Louis Riel's People, the Metis Nation
- Written by: Jean Teillet
- Narrated by: Jean Teillet
- Length: 14 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is a missing chapter in the narrative of Canada’s Indigenous peoples - the story of the Métis Nation, a new Indigenous people descended from both First Nations and Europeans. Their story begins in the last decade of the 18th century in the Canadian North-West. Within 20 years the Métis proclaimed themselves a nation and won their first battle. Within 40 years they were famous throughout North America for their military skills, their nomadic life and their buffalo hunts.
-
-
Fantastic historical account that all Canadians should be acquainted with.
- By Derek on 2021-08-10
Written by: Jean Teillet
-
Unreconciled
- Family, Truth, and Indigenous Resistance
- Written by: Jesse Wente
- Narrated by: Jesse Wente
- Length: 6 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Part memoir and part manifesto, Unreconciled is a stirring call to arms to put truth over the flawed concept of reconciliation, and to build a new, respectful relationship between the nation of Canada and Indigenous peoples.
-
-
Brilliant Must Listen/Read for all Canadians
- By Cass on 2022-02-04
Written by: Jesse Wente
-
True Reconciliation
- How to Be a Force for Change
- Written by: Jody Wilson-Raybould
- Narrated by: Jody Wilson-Raybould
- Length: 9 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
There is one question Canadians have asked Jody Wilson-Raybould more than any other: What can I do to help advance reconciliation? This has been true from her time as a leader of British Columbia’s First Nations, as a Member of Parliament, as Minister of Justice and Attorney General, within business communities, and when having conversations with people. Whether speaking as individuals, communities, organizations, or governments, people want to take concrete and tangible action that will make real change. They just need to know how to get started, or to take the next step.
-
-
A must read for Canadians
- By Vicky Wilson on 2023-05-24
Written by: Jody Wilson-Raybould
-
A House in the Sky
- A Memoir
- Written by: Amanda Lindhout, Sara Corbett
- Narrated by: Amanda Lindhout
- Length: 13 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Amanda Lindhout reads her spectacularly dramatic memoir of a woman whose curiosity about the world led her from rural Canada to imperiled and dangerous countries on every continent, and then into 15 months of harrowing captivity in Somalia - a story of courage, resilience, and extraordinary grace. In August 2008, she traveled to Mogadishu, Somalia - "the most dangerous place on Earth." On her fourth day in the country, she and her photojournalist companion were abducted.
-
-
A difficult but important read
- By Kindle Customer on 2020-04-23
Written by: Amanda Lindhout, and others
-
Seven Fallen Feathers
- Written by: Tanya Talaga
- Narrated by: Michaela Washburn
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1966, 12-year-old Chanie Wenjack froze to death on the railway tracks after running away from residential school. An inquest was called, and four recommendations were made to prevent another tragedy. None of those recommendations were applied. More than a quarter of a century later, from 2000 to 2011, seven Indigenous high school students died in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The seven were hundreds of miles away from their families, forced to leave home and live in a foreign and unwelcoming city.
-
-
Essential reading for Canadians
- By Blayne Beacham on 2018-09-13
Written by: Tanya Talaga
-
All Our Relations
- Finding the Path Forward
- Written by: Tanya Talaga
- Narrated by: Tanya Talaga
- Length: 5 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Tanya Talaga, the best-selling author of Seven Fallen Feathers and the 2017-2018 Atkinson Fellow in Public Policy, calls attention to an urgent global humanitarian crisis among Indigenous Peoples - youth suicide.
-
-
A true guide to knowing more
- By Maiingan on 2020-01-26
Written by: Tanya Talaga
-
Jonny Appleseed
- A Novel
- Written by: Joshua Whitehead
- Narrated by: Joshua Whitehead
- Length: 5 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A tour-de-force debut novel about a Two-Spirit Indigiqueer young man and proud NDN glitter princess who must reckon with his past when he returns home to his reserve. “You're gonna need a rock and a whole lotta medicine” is a mantra that Jonny Appleseed, a young Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer, repeats to himself in this vivid and utterly compelling debut novel by poet Joshua Whitehead.
-
-
Y gay?
- By Anonymous User on 2022-12-14
Written by: Joshua Whitehead
-
21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act
- Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality
- Written by: Bob Joseph
- Narrated by: Sage Isaac
- Length: 3 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on a viral article, 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act is the essential guide to understanding the legal document and its repercussion on generations of Indigenous peoples, written by a leading cultural sensitivity trainer. The Indian Act, after 141 years, continues to shape, control, and constrain the lives and opportunities of Indigenous peoples, and is at the root of many lasting stereotypes.
-
-
Essentially Canadian - Must Read.
- By Marcel Molin on 2019-08-23
Written by: Bob Joseph
-
Firekeeper's Daughter
- Written by: Angeline Boulley
- Narrated by: Isabella Star LaBlanc
- Length: 14 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eighteen-year-old Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in, both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. She dreams of a fresh start at college, but when family tragedy strikes, Daunis puts her future on hold to look after her fragile mother. The only bright spot is meeting Jamie, the charming new recruit on her brother Levi’s hockey team. Yet even as Daunis falls for Jamie, she senses the dashing hockey star is hiding something. Everything comes to light when Daunis witnesses a shocking murder, thrusting her into an FBI investigation of a lethal new drug.
-
-
Trigger Warning Please!
- By Kali Bomberry on 2021-04-21
Written by: Angeline Boulley
What listeners say about From the Ashes
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
- Victoria
- 2021-02-10
life inspiring
A beautifully vulnerable story that touched my soul. Will leave me deep in thought and self reflection for a long time.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Michelle R.
- 2020-10-24
A Must-Read
This is a fantastic book, written in a raw, honest way that cuts to the quick. It is not an easy read, but it is thoroughly engrossing. Ultimately, this is a book full of hope - hope that no matter who you are, what you have done or how awful your life is, you are valuable and worthy of redemption. Extraordinary!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DB
- 2021-06-22
A Must Read
To be honest, I didn’t have huge expectations from this book but have finished it with the belief that everyone should read it.
The book will leave you with a far better understanding of addiction, homelessness, petty crime, poverty, and many other societal issues. Why they happen and how our systems fail people.
The story is easy to listen to and captures the reader, although that didn’t happen until a few chapters in.
I laughed and I cried at various points. I don’t think I have ever felt so emotionally connected to a book before.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- fern wolf
- 2020-02-12
Life changing
This book offered understanding of addiction and compassion for those caught up in it and hope for those entangled in it.
Thank you Jesse
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Korli Swart
- 2020-07-20
A Life Changing Book
This is one of the best books I have listened to. It is an incredible and inspiring story. The narration is fantastic. At times it’s tough to get through as the story is so raw but it is worth every single word. It was recommended to me by a friend and I am grateful.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2020-07-30
An eye opener in many aspects
Eye opener memoir in many aspects. The thoughts and emotions that are described with the actions make this book very touching.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Vesna
- 2020-04-22
Incredible story
I loved this book. I'm glad that Jesse survived to be able to tell his story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Amazon Customer
- 2020-08-06
amazing and heartbreaking
the author does a great job of reading, and the story is so heart wrenching and necessary.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- EW
- 2019-12-21
A must read
What an amazing story. Couldn't stop listening, My boldness to continue listening through all the pain and frustration was only because I knew the author survived to write the book. Enlightening look at some of our worst social conditions, a testament to hope AND education. Humble author is a human being whose life experiences are painfully remembered and finally transcended with determination and a loving heart. At first I wasn't sure about the author as performer, but now realize this authentic voice added to the experience of audio. Don't miss this book.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Nicole
- 2022-01-19
Amazing audiobook.
This is a beautifully written raw and vulnerable memoir that provides hope in darkness.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!