Forward Only: A Memoir

How far can you run before the past finally catches you?

FORWARD ONLY is the true story of David Watson—a boy raised by his grandparents in small-town Texas whose life changed forever when he lost the man he looked up to most at twelve years old. Grief became rebellion. Rebellion became running. What followed was a journey across states and countries, through arrests, juvenile custody, foreign jail cells, years in federal prison, devastating loss, and consequences David could no longer escape. But this isn’t simply a story about crime or incarceration. It’s about the boy who came before it all. The grandparents who gave him a home. The loss that changed him. The choices that followed. And the moment a man who had spent much of his life running finally had to confront himself. David doesn’t ask the reader to excuse his decisions. He confronts them—the damage they caused, the people they affected, and the price that eventually had to be paid.

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