""A brave and marvelous book. A page-turner that will rip your heart out.""âJon Krakauer
In the tradition of Into the Wild comes an instant classic of outdoor literature, a riveting work of uncommon depth. Iâm planning on doing 4 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, twenty-seven-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 Ricaâs 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 Iâm planning on doing 4 days in the jungle and a day to walk out. Iâll 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 Adventurerâs Son recreates the authorâs two-year quest to learn the truth about his childâs disappearance. Immediately after Cody Romanâs 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 cluesâthe authorities suspected murderâthe 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 earthâs wildest places. Was he ultimately responsible for his sonâs fate?
A harrowing story of drama, adventure, and a fatherâs love for his son, set in the most beautiful and dangerous reaches of the planet, The Adventurerâs Son is a mystery, the memoir of a father and his son, and an unforgettable story of love and profound loss.