The Adventurer's Son
A Memoir
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wish list failed.
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Buy Now for $31.46
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Fred Sanders
-
Written by:
-
Roman Dial
About this listen
"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 HarperAudioYou may also enjoy...
-
A Wild Idea
- Written by: Jonathan Franklin
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The incredible true story of the entrepreneur turned conservationist - the founder of the iconic company The North Face who used his fortune to protect more than 25 million acres of land from development and exploitation and “foster peace between people and wild nature”.
-
-
One of the Best
- By Charlie on 2022-05-11
Written by: Jonathan Franklin
-
The Way of the Hermit
- My Incredible 40 Years Living in the Wilderness
- Written by: Ken Smith, Will Millard
- Narrated by: Dean Williamson
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Way of the Hermit, Ken shares the remarkable story of his life for the very first time. Told with humor and compassion, his unique insights allow us to glimpse the awe and wonder of a life lived in nature and offer wisdom on how each of us can escape the pressures and stresses of modern life.
Written by: Ken Smith, and others
-
The Whisper on the Night Wind
- The True History of a Wilderness Legend
- Written by: Adam Shoalts
- Narrated by: Adam Shoalts
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Traverspine is not a place you will find on most maps. A century ago, it stood near the foothills of the remote Mealy Mountains in central Labrador. Today it is an abandoned ghost town, almost all trace of it swallowed up by dark spruce woods that cloak millions of acres. In the early 1900s, this isolated little settlement was the scene of an extraordinary haunting by large creatures none could identify. Strange tracks were found in the woods. Unearthly cries were heard in the night. Sled dogs went missing.
-
-
Well written and frightening
- By phdjiggs on 2021-10-21
Written by: Adam Shoalts
-
Sea People
- The Puzzle of Polynesia
- Written by: Christina Thompson
- Narrated by: Susan Lyons
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A thrilling, intellectual detective story that looks deep into the past to uncover who first settled the islands of the remote Pacific, where they came from, how they got there, and how we know.
-
-
Fascinating Polynesia 101
- By Jacob R. on 2020-02-16
Written by: Christina Thompson
-
Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart
- An Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail
- Written by: Carrot Quinn
- Narrated by: Erin Spencer
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Carrot Quinn fears that she's become addicted to the Internet. The city makes her numb, and she's having trouble connecting with others. In a desperate move, she breaks away from everything to walk 2,660 miles from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. It will be her first long-distance hike.
-
-
quite lovely
- By mike on 2020-04-17
Written by: Carrot Quinn
-
Life Lived Wild
- Adventures at the Edge of the Map (Patagonia)
- Written by: Rick Ridgeway
- Narrated by: Rick Ridgeway
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the beginning of his memoir Life Lived Wild: Adventures at the Edge of the Map, Rick Ridgeway tells us that if you add up all his many expeditions, he’s spent over five years of his life sleeping in tents: “And most of that in small tents pitched in the world’s most remote regions.” It’s not a boast so much as an explanation. Whether at elevation or raising a family back at sea level, those years taught him, he writes, “to distinguish matters of consequence from matters of inconsequence.” He leaves it to his listeners to do the final sort of which is which.
-
-
Master Storyteller
- By Greg Collings on 2025-01-28
Written by: Rick Ridgeway
-
A Wild Idea
- Written by: Jonathan Franklin
- Narrated by: George Newbern
- Length: 10 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The incredible true story of the entrepreneur turned conservationist - the founder of the iconic company The North Face who used his fortune to protect more than 25 million acres of land from development and exploitation and “foster peace between people and wild nature”.
-
-
One of the Best
- By Charlie on 2022-05-11
Written by: Jonathan Franklin
-
The Way of the Hermit
- My Incredible 40 Years Living in the Wilderness
- Written by: Ken Smith, Will Millard
- Narrated by: Dean Williamson
- Length: 9 hrs and 49 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Way of the Hermit, Ken shares the remarkable story of his life for the very first time. Told with humor and compassion, his unique insights allow us to glimpse the awe and wonder of a life lived in nature and offer wisdom on how each of us can escape the pressures and stresses of modern life.
Written by: Ken Smith, and others
-
The Whisper on the Night Wind
- The True History of a Wilderness Legend
- Written by: Adam Shoalts
- Narrated by: Adam Shoalts
- Length: 7 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Traverspine is not a place you will find on most maps. A century ago, it stood near the foothills of the remote Mealy Mountains in central Labrador. Today it is an abandoned ghost town, almost all trace of it swallowed up by dark spruce woods that cloak millions of acres. In the early 1900s, this isolated little settlement was the scene of an extraordinary haunting by large creatures none could identify. Strange tracks were found in the woods. Unearthly cries were heard in the night. Sled dogs went missing.
-
-
Well written and frightening
- By phdjiggs on 2021-10-21
Written by: Adam Shoalts
-
Sea People
- The Puzzle of Polynesia
- Written by: Christina Thompson
- Narrated by: Susan Lyons
- Length: 11 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A thrilling, intellectual detective story that looks deep into the past to uncover who first settled the islands of the remote Pacific, where they came from, how they got there, and how we know.
-
-
Fascinating Polynesia 101
- By Jacob R. on 2020-02-16
Written by: Christina Thompson
-
Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart
- An Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail
- Written by: Carrot Quinn
- Narrated by: Erin Spencer
- Length: 14 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Carrot Quinn fears that she's become addicted to the Internet. The city makes her numb, and she's having trouble connecting with others. In a desperate move, she breaks away from everything to walk 2,660 miles from Mexico to Canada on the Pacific Crest Trail. It will be her first long-distance hike.
-
-
quite lovely
- By mike on 2020-04-17
Written by: Carrot Quinn
-
Life Lived Wild
- Adventures at the Edge of the Map (Patagonia)
- Written by: Rick Ridgeway
- Narrated by: Rick Ridgeway
- Length: 12 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
At the beginning of his memoir Life Lived Wild: Adventures at the Edge of the Map, Rick Ridgeway tells us that if you add up all his many expeditions, he’s spent over five years of his life sleeping in tents: “And most of that in small tents pitched in the world’s most remote regions.” It’s not a boast so much as an explanation. Whether at elevation or raising a family back at sea level, those years taught him, he writes, “to distinguish matters of consequence from matters of inconsequence.” He leaves it to his listeners to do the final sort of which is which.
-
-
Master Storyteller
- By Greg Collings on 2025-01-28
Written by: Rick Ridgeway
-
How Iceland Changed the World
- The Big History of a Small Island
- Written by: Egill Bjarnason
- Narrated by: Einar Gunn
- Length: 8 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The history of Iceland began 1,200 years ago, when a frustrated Viking captain and his useless navigator ran aground in the middle of the North Atlantic. Suddenly, the island was no longer just a layover for the Arctic tern. Instead, it became a nation whose diplomats and musicians, sailors and soldiers, volcanoes and flowers, quietly altered the globe forever. How Iceland Changed the World takes readers on a tour of history, showing them how Iceland played a pivotal role in events as diverse as the French Revolution, the Moon Landing, and the foundation of Israel.
-
-
This is a Wonderful book!
- By Duncan Day on 2021-10-20
Written by: Egill Bjarnason
-
The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts
- The True Story of The Bondwoman's Narrative
- Written by: Gregg Hecimovich
- Narrated by: Ron Butler, Janina Edwards
- Length: 12 hrs and 59 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In 1857, a woman escaped enslavement on a North Carolina plantation and fled to a farm in New York. In hiding, she worked on a manuscript that would make her famous long after her death. The novel, The Bondwoman’s Narrative, was first published in 2002 to great acclaim, but the author’s identity remained unknown. Over a decade later, Professor Gregg Hecimovich unraveled the mystery of the author’s name and, in The Life and Times of Hannah Crafts, he finally tells her story.
-
-
the fact the story is more like a documentary of the making of the book
- By Sherry Graham on 2024-05-29
Written by: Gregg Hecimovich
-
The Sun Is a Compass
- A 4,000-Mile Journey into the Alaskan Wilds
- Written by: Caroline Van Hemert
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 9 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This gripping true story follows a biologist's human-powered journey from the Pacific Northwest to the Arctic to rediscover her love of birds, nature, and adventure—perfect for fans of Cheryl Strayed.
-
-
Feel Like You Are on the Journey With the Author
- By Kathleen on 2022-01-29
Written by: Caroline Van Hemert
-
Tripping on Utopia
- Margaret Mead, the Cold War, and the Troubled Birth of Psychedelic Science
- Written by: Benjamin Breen
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 12 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A bold and brilliant revisionist take on the history of psychedelics in the twentieth century, illuminating how a culture of experimental drugs shaped the Cold War and the birth of Silicon Valley....
Written by: Benjamin Breen
-
The Mango Tree
- A Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony
- Written by: Annabelle Tometich
- Narrated by: Annabelle Tometich
- Length: 10 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When journalist Annabelle Tometich picks up the phone one June morning, she isn’t expecting a collect call from an inmate at the Lee County Jail. And when she accepts, she certainly isn’t prepared to hear her mother’s voice on the other end of the line. However, explaining the situation to her younger siblings afterwards was easy; all she had to say was, “Mom shot at some guy. He was messing with her mangoes.” They immediately understood.
-
-
authentic and honest.
- By anne nonomus on 2024-11-17
Written by: Annabelle Tometich
-
Empires of the Steppes
- Written by: Kenneth Harl
- Narrated by: Corey M. Snow
- Length: 17 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The barbarian nomads of the Eurasian steppes have played a decisive role in world history, but their achievements have gone largely unnoticed. These nomadic tribes have produced some of the world’s greatest conquerors: Attila the Hun, Genghis Khan and Tamerlane, among others. Their deeds still resonate today. Indeed, these nomads built long-lasting empires, facilitated the first global trade of the Silk Road and disseminated religions, technology, knowledge and goods of every description that enriched and changed the lives of so many across Europe, China and the Middle East.
Written by: Kenneth Harl
What listeners say about The Adventurer's Son
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Alison L
- 2021-12-30
A Parent’s Grief….
This was a story that I found captivating from the start. The closeness of Roman and Peggy is passed on to their children. The love of family shines through in every chapter. The loss of their son is unimaginable; truly something that I feel only a parent could really understand. The search for their son is so commendable. Even though it was a tragedy, I enjoyed the love that ultimately prevailed in their story. I will highly recommend this book to others… thank you for sharing your son with us!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 2021-08-01
Engaging
Such a well written book. I was captivated by the life this young man lived and the honestly of his father in telling their story.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- MWP
- 2021-05-01
Really tugs at the heart
This book is centred around a father who’s adventurous son goes missing.
I’ll just say that, to follow along and hear all about the search was just as interesting to me as the adventures this family was involved with before tragedy ever befell them.
They are a family of explorers living interesting lives that are worth living and reading about. At least, that’s this fellow adventurer’s point of view.
I hope you find this as interesting as I did, I will be hard pressed to find another audiobook to follow it up with.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Roberta W
- 2024-04-07
Answers found
Interesting and well written. By the time his son had gone missing, this father had made me understand who he was. This enabled me to believe his truth when others were saying he was something else. It’s quite remarkable that they were able to get answers… disappearing into a jungle in Costa Rica is like a needle in a haystack. A good listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
- Blair Mann
- 2022-05-01
Excellent Read
I loved this book. Honest, well written. Beautifully detailed. Heart wrenching story. I love true adventure stories and this didn't disappoint. As an adventurer and father my heart goes out to the Dial family. Thank you for sharing the truth.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Fred Fontaine
- 2022-10-22
Heart wrenching
As someone who has you adult children this was heart wrenching to listen to but I am so glad it did.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- DianeT
- 2022-01-27
Story of love and loss
This was a very full story of a family of adventurers first, their love for each other and their desperate search for the missing well understood son. The thoroughness of their search for Roman was exhaustive. So glad they found hit.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!