From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way

From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way (2019) is a memoir penned by Métis-Cree author and scholar Jesse Thistle. He chronicles his life and experiences with addiction, crime, and living on the streets and how he eventually overcomes a lifetime of trauma to rediscover his culture and identity through education. The book explores themes of heritage and identity, choice and circumstance, and what home encompasses.

Thistle is an assistant professor in humanities at York University, Toronto. From the Ashes is his debut book and won numerous awards, including the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize for Nonfiction and the Indigenous Voices Award.

This guide is based on the Simon & Schuster Kindle edition.

Content Warning: From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way contains mentions and descriptions of violence (especially domestic abuse), racism, sexual assault, substance use and addiction, suicidal ideation, and a suicide attempt.

Plot Summary

From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way is divided into four parts. Part 1 focuses on Jesse Thistle’s early years. His father, Sonny Thistle, has a substance addiction and abuses Jesse’s mother, Blanche Thistle (née Morrissette).