Onward Forward — My Journey with ALS: Finding Beauty and Love in the Clusterf*ck
Original price was: $26.99.$15.99Current price is: $15.99.
Grand Prize Shortlist, Eric Hoffer Book Award
Finalist, First Horizon Award
Finalist, The Montaigne Medal
“Brian will remind you that our goal is not to create a life without problems, but instead to discover how to be fully engaged in our lives.” -Alanis Morissette, singer-songwriter & 7-time Grammy winner
“A postgraduate course on how to live in love with this crazy wonderful Life. I’ll read it again and again.” -Steve Gleason, Former NFL player – New Orleans Saints & founder of Team Gleason
“Joyful, thought-provoking…for virtually anyone looking for better insights on how to construct and navigate life.“ -Midwest Book Review
Onward Forward is a book Brian Jeansonne would have written eventually. He wrote it now because ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, confined him to a power chair, silenced his voluntary muscles, and urged him to focus more deeply than ever on life’s most essential questions. In this heartfelt and irreverent memoir, Brian chronicles the disease process while exploring metaphysical, spiritual, and emotional concepts such as soul, suffering, contentment, presence, and—most importantly—love.
As both narrator and soul guide, Brian writes with raw honesty about the arc of his own faith, as well as difficult periods of depression. He asks and answers life’s most difficult but essential questions: What is God?Why do we suffer?How can we best live alongside each other?What does it mean to be content?How can we do better by ourselves and others?What’s the role of a parent? A spouse?Are Jesus and rock-and-roll compatible?What can we learn from Ted Lasso?Beginning with a foreword by fellow soul-seeker Alanis Morissette, Onward Forward is an invitation to fully engage with life, to embrace “the good, the bad, and the shitshow,” and to run toward our truest selves with abandon.
From the Publisher
Publisher : DartFrog Books
Publication date : September 26, 2024
Language : English
Print length : 284 pages
ISBN-10 : 1961624893
ISBN-13 : 978-1961624894
Item Weight : 12.8 ounces
Dimensions : 5.5 x 0.71 x 8.5 inches
Best Sellers Rank: #90,859 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #66 in Nervous System Diseases (Books) #106 in Biographies of People with Disabilities (Books) #3,888 in Memoirs (Books)
Customer Reviews: 4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 92 ratings var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });
7 reviews for Onward Forward — My Journey with ALS: Finding Beauty and Love in the Clusterf*ck
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Original price was: $26.99.$15.99Current price is: $15.99.
F. Wilson –
A Soul-Stirring Testament to What It Means to Become Love
Onward Forward is not just a book. It’s a sacred invitation.From the very first page, Brian Jeansonne’s vulnerability places you right beside him—on the porch he so lovingly describes—where time slows and truth is welcome. You feel the stillness, the ache, the rawness, the presence. This isn’t a memoir to simply read—it’s one you feel in your bones.What unfolds is not just the story of a man living with ALS, but a profoundly human and spiritual journey of undoing and becoming. Brian opens a window into the deep and beautiful ocean of his soul—layer by layer, moment by moment—as he walks us through life before diagnosis, the gutting shock of that life-changing day, and the quiet, courageous work of continuing to live. Awake. Present. Transformed.Through grief, surrender, humor, and grace, he shares the sacred tension of being human and divine, broken and whole, aching and alive. Even while losing his ability to move, eat, speak, write, or reach out and touch the hand of his beloved, he chooses to be Love. He doesn’t merely write about love—he becomes it, breath by breath.This book is full of treasures—insights tucked into raw stories, grief softened by humor, wisdom slipped between ordinary moments. It made me want to look inward. To examine the places in my own life that have yet to be moved by Love. To slow down and listen. To join him in the becoming.There’s nothing performative here. No preachy inspiration. Just the real, imperfect, mystical unfolding of a soul who is choosing every day to say yes to Love. His resolve to keep showing up for his wife, his children, his people—and for himself—is the kind of witness that changes you.This is a book I’ll carry in my heart, and return to often—not just when life is hard, but when I need to remember what’s real, and what truly matters.Thank you for such vulnerability and courage in sharing your story, Brian. You have given us a priceless gift of seeing the world through your lens of Love. And We are all better for it. 🙏🏼
DQ –
FIVE STARS! COULDN’T PUT IT DOWN
Giving this book 5 stars because I couldn’t put it down. You get an inside look at Brian’s life with ALS. Brian paints a vivid picture of special moments shared with his wife and children as they face ALS head on and choose to live life. This book encouraged me to think deeper, to love deeper, and to embrace life daily. We all have struggles, set backs, and things to deal with in life. No matter where you are in your journey, there is no doubt that you will make a connection with Brian’s raw and authentic insights from his personal journey. Love the Ted Lasso references! Plus, this guy wrote the entire book with his EYES. In short, just buy the book and read it.
P. Murray –
A transformative journey of story-telling
Brian Jeansonne’s Onward Forward — My Journey with ALS: Finding Beauty and Love in the Clusterfck* is far more than a memoir about living with ALS; it’s an invitation to explore the depth and breadth of human experience. Through humor, raw honesty, and profound insights, Brian shares his journey in a way that illuminates our own.This book is a powerful reminder that beauty and love can be found even in life’s most challenging moments. Brian’s courage in sharing his personal victories, struggles, relationships, and spiritual reflections offers readers a glimpse into the resilience of the human spirit. It’s a rare blend of humor and brutal honesty that will make you laugh, cry, and reflect deeply.By opening the door to his life, Brian encourages us to see our own stories with new eyes, fostering greater compassion, patience, and grace. Onward Forward isn’t just a story about ALS—it’s about all of us. It invites readers to embrace the full spectrum of life’s experiences, reminding us of the beauty in each moment.A must-read for anyone seeking hope, insight, and a deeper connection to what it means to be human.
Lena Rusch –
Among MOST Impactful, Perspective Shifting Books!
I found myself nodding in agreement, shaking my head in shock, or wiping my tears with sorrow as I read my way through this book (and I’m not usually a cryer). But most importantly, I also found myself setting it down to look out the window and just be. To think. To feel and ponder. Brian almost stealthily leads you on a journey to find love, light, meaning. You think you’re just reading his story and then BAM, you realize he’s speaking to your soul and guiding you to deep truths. To your truest self. I might have bought this book to give me insights on journeying through ALS with a loved one with the diagnosis, but I am coming away from this book with self reflection and a sense of connectedness that I did not foresee. This is a book for everyone, of every age and every situation. Just buy it and read it! You’ll be so glad you did.
Kimberly McClanahan –
My Review
Onward Forward is a very good book. The author gives a very honest & detailed description of what happens when you’re diagnosed with a deadly disease & how you deal with it matters. He chooses to live every day present with his family and those who care for him. It’s a book about the dedication of a spouse to their partner and a parent to their children. I laughed, I cried and I also felt for the family when they found out that he was diagnosed. I felt ( second hand) of course, the sadness that they must have felt. I felt relieved when new strategies were developed to help them, etc. Jn other words, I felt drawn into the story. A very good read. I love his honesty.
Kay Caillouet –
A MUST read!
A MUST read!! For everyone. It was surprising and made me rethink how I pray and practice life. You would think it would be depressing because it’s about ALS. But, it’s not really about the disease, as much as about every other intangible thing in life that’s important. A journey of exploration. Brian is the friend and pastor with insight that you didn’t know you needed. I will be giving this book to family and friends for many years.
No pointer –
Beautiful book! Loved it. Brian’s strength and ability is tremendous. I enjoyed reading every minute of this book and highly recommend it.