The Adventurer's Son

A Memoir

By: Roman Dial

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

"A brave and marvelous book. A page-turner that will rip your heart out." (Jon Krakauer)

In the tradition of Into the Wild comes an instant classic of outdoor literature, a riveting work of uncommon depth. I’m planning on doing four days in the jungle.... It should be difficult to get lost forever: These were the haunting last words legendary adventurer Roman Dial received from his son, before the 27-year old disappeared into the jungles of Costa Rica. This is Dial's intensely gripping and deeply moving account of his two-year quest to unravel the mystery of his son's fate.

In the predawn hours of July 10, 2014, 27-year-old Cody Roman Dial, the son of preeminent Alaskan scientist and National Geographic Explorer Roman Dial, walked alone into Corcovado National Park, an untracked rainforest along Costa Rica’s remote Pacific Coast that shelters miners, poachers, and drug smugglers. He carried a light backpack and machete. Before he left, he emailed his father: "I am not sure how long it will take me, but I’m planning on doing 4 days in the jungle and a day to walk out. I’ll be bounded by a trail to the west and the coast everywhere else, so it should be difficult to get lost forever."

They were the last words Dial received from his son.

The Adventurer’s Son recreates the author’s two-year quest to learn the truth about his child’s disappearance. Immediately after Cody Roman’s planned departure date passed without a word from him, Dial set off for Costa Rica. As he trekked through the dense jungle, interviewing locals and searching for clues - the authorities suspected murder - the desperate father was forced to confront the deepest questions about his own life. Roman had raised his son to be fearless, to seek out adventure amid earth’s wildest places. Was he ultimately responsible for his son’s fate?

A harrowing story of drama, adventure, and a father’s love for his son, set in the most beautiful and dangerous reaches of the planet, The Adventurer’s Son is a mystery, the memoir of a father and his son, and an unforgettable story of love and profound loss.

©2020 Roman Dial (P)2020 HarperAudio

Epic story!

And so well-written. What guts it takes to pour your heart out and address every parent’s worst nightmares head on. Bravo!

Couldn’t stop listening

Beautifully told and compelling story. It takes you on a journey both physical and emotional, with marvelous landscapes for each. There also are some fascinating social details such as crime in Central America, tourism, and the awful prurience of “reality TV.“ This book was chosen by a member of my book group, and I wouldn’t have otherwise come across or necessarily picked it up. But now I will definitely be recommending this book to others. Also, the narration was superb, a voice that was reasoned and yet rich with emotion. It really did feel like what I imagined the author to be.

Couldn't stop listening or thinking about this

Fantastic writer of a heartbreaking story. Loved the descriptions of the wildernesses and family relationships and adventures.

Nonfiction is tough

It’s hard to write a review of a nonfiction book because the story is what it is, the author has no say in the story. Like all nonfiction it has too many characters but unlike most, the author kept them straight; at least in my brain. The narrator is definitely top-notch, he’s no Jim Dale but more than adequate for this book

Beautiful and Painful

Roman Dial is an adept storyteller, and his heartbreaking story about his son, Cody Roman Dial, must have been incredibly difficult to write. It is clear that he put his soul into this book and through it, I felt many connections with him and his son. My only complaint is that the narrator, Fred Sanders, is a bit too robotic for such an emotional journey.

Adventure on, Roman Dial.

A Double Edged Sword

Being a parent brings both joy & torment. This memoir highlights both. My heart ached for the Dials. Filled with interesting travel details, I found myself going off on Google tangents to learn more about things like pigmy elephants in Borneo & glacial ice worms. The story of the search for Roman gets lost itself sometimes; mired in details of names & places. But overall, it's riveting. The narration is okay. It's hard to understand how someone who can pronounce Hispanic names & places with such ease, doesn't know when to use the (thuh) pronunciation of the English word "the" instead of saying "the" (thee). The narration isn't a deal breaker though; just distracting at times.

Amazing Life

Grabbed me instantly
So wonderful to see people living life!
Heart breaking
Yet inspiring
What a family!

Fascinating narrative

This story is fascinating in the excellent details of high skill level adventurers. It took us into a world that I had never experienced. My special forces husband, who has done countless jungle missions, said it was very well done and accurate for details. we both enjoyed it on our road trip.

Sometimes the details went on too extensively. We understood this father's need to tell his story in complete detail. Overall it was very well written.

Our only issue was the narration, which was staccato and unnatural. It was very distracting at times. Thankfully he relaxed a little by part two of the book and it smoothed out some.

True life experiences are wonderful.

Excelent story. I love memoirs. My only problem was having to listen to some occasional swear words , even though I'm sure they were words used during the experiences recorded.

Authenticity of the author

Admired the authors commitment to engage his son in nature and adventure and his relentless campaign to find him.