About this episode

Jackson TerKeurst shares his powerful story of resilience and identity after being adopted from an orphanage in Liberia.

Jackson TerKeurst's life was forever changed when he was separated from his family during the Liberian civil war and spent years in an orphanage before coming to the United States and being adopted at age 15. Today, the author of The Only Way Forward Is Back shares his powerful story of resilience, identity, and belonging, inspiring others to overcome adversity and find purpose.

People in this episode

Hosts: Louise Browne, Sarah Reinhardt

Guest: Jackson TerKeurst

Topics covered

• adoption
• resilience
• identity
• belonging
• overcoming adversity
• personal story

Keywords

• adoption
• Liberian civil war
• orphanage
• resilience
• identity
• belonging
• adversity
• purpose

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Only Way Forward Is Back

Places: Liberia, United States

More episodes of Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories

• Adrian: From Survival to Purpose · July 21, 2026 · 54 min
• Christy: Where Healing Takes Root · July 14, 2026 · 1h 7m
• Patsy: Found by DNA, Silenced by Family · July 7, 2026 · 1h 4m
• Susan: A Story Rooted in Heritage · June 30, 2026 · 1h 6m
• Anne-Grete: The Long Journey Home · June 16, 2026 · 1h 10m

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Adoption: The Making of Me. An Oral History of Adoptee Stories podcast page.