From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle

 Abandoned by his parents and raised by his paternal grandparents, Jesse Thistle is haunted by the absence of his father.  As he faces mounting struggles including addiction and a separation from his Métis culture, he must find his way back to life before his demons can claim him.

From the Ashes is a raw, poignant memoir that will resonate whether or not you can identify with Thistle's struggles.  I enjoyed the interspersion of his poetry- which by the way, I would read a collection of- as I felt that the poems offered a unique presentation of the struggles he endured.  Thistle is clearly a gifted writer and storyteller.  Short chapters also make tough subject matter easy to digest and before you know it, you've read 100 or more pages!

There are moments in the book which will haunt me for many years; including an incident in Vancouver, a conversation with another drug addict, and when he is finally kicked out by his grandfather. However, I think that this is an important book for educating oneself about addiction, despair, Indigenous issues and also hope.