Books with category 👤 Memoir
Displaying 2 books

Sorted

2019

by Jackson Bird

Sorted is an unflinching and endearing memoir from LGBTQ+ advocate Jackson Bird, detailing his journey to sorting things out and coming out as a transgender man. Assigned female at birth and raised as a girl, Jackson often wondered if he should have been born a boy. Growing up in Texas without transgender role models, he kept his thoughts to himself.

Through journal entries and candid recollections, Jackson chronicles the challenges of growing up gender-confused and the loneliness of coming to terms with his gender and bisexual identity. He shares the obstacles and quirks of his transition, from figuring out chest binders to emotional breakdowns at fan conventions, and from his first shot of testosterone to his top surgery.

With warmth, wit, and educational insights, Jackson's narrative not only sheds light on the many facets of a transgender life but also highlights the power and beauty of being true to oneself. Sorted is a testament to the importance of self-discovery and embracing one's identity.

From the Ashes

2019

by Jesse Thistle

In his 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 M�tis-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 heartwarming 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.

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