A heart-breaking, lyrical memoir that highlights the struggles Thistle overcame to become the man he is today. Provides some insight into historical issues for indigenous people without overgeneralizing.

I truly enjoyed this debut novel by Jesse Thistle, a journey of trauma, addiction and life on the streets through to hope, survival and redemption. Abandoned by his parents as a toddler, along with his two older brothers, Jesse's memoir takes us on a rough and tumble ride thru a life of adversity as an indigenous young man in Brampton, Vancouver and Ottawa' s Lowertown and Byward Market area. While various social service agencies and his own Cree Metis family members attempted to Pull him from the gutter, he was often his own worst enemy, sabotaging any and all efforts. But he persevered and without giving too much away, Thistle rallies to emerge a true success story. A great read.

I love a book that changes me and the way that I see the world. Jesse helped me to understand the indigenous people and the challenges that they are facing to overcome generations of abuse and distrust. I could not put this one down. It was so difficult for Jesse to write this memoire, and I am so grateful that he did. How do people live through that? Amazing!

Jesse’s story is one of both suffering and overcoming. It weaves together cultural and family wounds with the choices and outcomes that follow. It was gripping and hard to put down, but at the same time very difficult to read. It’s raw. This memoir shed light on some issues that I have not walked through personally, and gave me a greater compassion for people who suffer from addiction, childhood turmoil and racial discrimination. Despite the heaviness of this book, I read it with a deep hope for a triumphant ending.

Fantastic and well written. Did not put it down til finished. Bravo to Jesse Thistle!

Ordinary writing, present tense makes for juvenile tone, short chapters easy to read, but too lengthy overall.

I wish it had won Canada Reads 2020.

Book club July 2020

This book is an amazingly raw and honest depiction of the authors life and struggles. I believe his story deeply resingnates and represents the struggles that happens in the indigenous culture. Hopefully the readers come to this book with an openness to really hear and see how society has impacted the indigenous community. Also how addiction can cause so much damage for generations.

Incredible memoir of an individual's account on his journey through addiction and homelessness and struggles with family. I discovered it's a great companion read to Gabor Mate's book on addiction which I happened to read prior. If you want to understand people with addictions more, or have someone close struggling with addiction, this is a must read. If you want to learn more about marginalized people, this is a must read. Overall, a must read.