The Only Way Forward is Back: A Story of War, Adoption, and Finding Your Purpose in God's Plan

War orphan Jackson TerKeurst’s remarkable story of adoption and faith teaches us to notice God’s presence in our lives so we can look toward the future with hope.

The son of a town chief. The grandson of a witch doctor. An orphan, a war statistic, a nameless boy trying to survive gunfire and starvation during the Liberian Civil War. Jackson TerKeurst used to find his identity in scarcity and trauma. Today he finds it in knowing he is a child of God.

Jackson came to America as a teenager with little education, was adopted by a Christian family, and then graduated college and started his own business. His incredible story has been featured on the Oprah Winfrey Network and the Today Show. Now, for the first time, Jackson shares his spiritual journey against the backdrop of his biography as he calls us to see how God can redeem the pain in our own lives.

The Only Way Forward Is Back is a riveting account of perseverance, sacrificial love, and transformative grace. It invites us to view our personal stories through the lens of a literal and spiritual orphan who learned to hold fast to his identity as God’s beloved child—and inspires each one of us to do the same.

Features bonus material not included in the printed book, including an interview with Jackson and Amanda TerKeurst.

© 2025 David C Cook (Audiobook): 9780830788699

Release date

Audiobook: 1 July 2025