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The Adventurer's Son
The Adventurer's Son: A Memoir | Roman Dial
A brave and marvelous book. A page-turner that will rip your heart out.Jon Krakauer In the predawn hours of July 10, 2014, the twenty-seven-year-old son of preeminent Alaskan scientist and National Geographic Explorer Roman Dial, walked alone into Corcovado National Park, an untracked rainforest along Costa Ricas remote Pacific Coast that shelters miners, poachers, and drug smugglers. He carried a light backpack and machete. Before he left, Cody Roman Dial emailed his father: I am not sure how long it will take me, but Im planning on doing 4 days in the jungle and a day to walk out. Ill 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. In the tradition of Into the Wild comes an instant classic of outdoor literature, a riveting work of uncommon depth. The Adventurers Son is Dials extraordinary account of his two-year quest to unravel the mystery of his sons fate. As soon as he realized Cody Romans return date had passed, Dial set off for Costa Rica. As he trekked through the dense jungle, interviewing locals and searching for cluesthe authorities suspected murderthe desperate father was forced to confront the deepest questions about himself and his own role in the events. Roman had raised his son to be fearless, to be at home in earths wildest places, travelling together through rugged Alaska to remote Borneo and Bhutan. Was he responsible for his sons fate? Or, as he hoped, was Cody Roman safe and using his wilderness skills on a solo adventure from which he would emerge at any moment? Part detective story set in the most beautiful yet dangerous reaches of the planet, The Adventurers Son emerges as a far deeper tale of discoverya journey to understand the truth about those we love the most. The Adventurers Son includes 25 color photographs.
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Texreader
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Dilara This is lovely! 7mo
Catsandbooks 🥲🇨🇷 7mo
42 likes2 comments
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Texreader
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Pickpick

Accomplished explorer, scientist, & college professor tells his heartbreaking search for his missing son, also an explorer & scientist, in the jungles of #CostaRica. A memoir, he describes his own worldwide adventures, expands to his explorations with his new wife, & then shares the love with their kids. This long build-up feels like a begging for forgiveness. If he hadn‘t done all of these things, his son wouldn‘t have been an adventurer & ⬇️

Texreader gone missing. The search took 2 years dealing with bureaucracy, strong-arm politics, a deadly jungle, & not-quite honest reality tv producers supposedly helping him. This book has a dreadful rating on litsy so I read previous reviews. If you‘re looking for adventure, this isn‘t the book for you, & if you just want a true crime novel, this book isn‘t for you. It‘s a long plea for atonement & confession. It is excellent. I‘m also surprised ⬇️ 7mo
Texreader that Costa Rica is quite the tourist destination. Its jungles sound pretty brutal to me. #foodandlit #readingtheAmericas Also works for #Mexico and #Guatemala (edited) 7mo
BarbaraBB It sounds very intriguing 7mo
See All 6 Comments
Librarybelle Wonderful review as always! 7mo
ravenlee Costa Rican tourists seem to end up on those “Untold Stories of the ER” type of shows disproportionately often, usually with botflies or something similar. Not really the best testimonial. (edited) 7mo
Catsandbooks Wow sounds very intense! 7mo
55 likes6 comments
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Texreader
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Does anyone else think this is the most adorable thing ever?

#foodandlit #CostaRica @Catsandbooks

Catsandbooks 💛🐝 8mo
PaperbackPirate 🌼🐝💛🖤 8mo
GingerAntics 🐝🐝🐝 8mo
Dilara It is! Love it 💕 7mo
51 likes4 comments
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Texreader
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I love seeing the green as I move through a challenge! Here‘s my progress for #FoodandLit2023

Catsandbooks 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 8mo
31 likes1 comment
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Texreader
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It‘s time for my status updates for mid-year. I apologize for all the posts I‘m about to make, but it keeps me motivated

I‘ve 6 letters of the alphabet to go to complete #LitsyAtoZ. “A” is in progress (yellow highlight). Bold books I anticipate reading for this challenge or another challenge by the end of the year.

#LitsyAtoZ is the challenge I‘ve successfully finished for the longest amount of time, so it‘s my most important—I think 6 years!

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Texreader
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I have a lot of books lined up for #CostaRica for #foodandlit. This is at the top of the list.

#readingtheAmericas2023 @Catsandbooks @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

Catsandbooks Wow sounds like quite the story! 8mo
Librarybelle On my to read list! 8mo
50 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Texreader
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Bookwormjillk This would be good for #FoodAndLit in August too. Tempting. 10mo
Librarybelle Thanks for posting! 10mo
Sapphire I need to join you all for Cost Rica. I have family lore involving this beautiful land 10mo
41 likes1 stack add3 comments
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TorieStorieS
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Mehso-so

Part tribute to his son‘s memory and part adventure/disappearance mystery, this listen ends with a string albeit heartbreaking finish. Roman Dial‘s only son followed in his adventurer father‘s footsteps in many ways. But in 2016 only a last email to his family reveals his planned five day hike. After two weeks and still no word, it takes even longer to get a search underway in Costa Rica. The first half of memories moved a bit slower.

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Hilary427
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Mehso-so

I had listened to a podcast about Cody Roman Dial, which made me super interested in reading the book. It‘s ok…it‘s mainly about a fathers guilt and regret. A memorable story! ⭐️: 3/5

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Juliwyant
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Just got this audio book

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eanderson
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Pickpick

I am thankful for audiobooks. This was an interesting listen. About half is Roman Dial‘s memoir and the rest is about his son who goes missing in Costa Rica. It‘s sad but man, he LOVED his son! Book 1 complete for #MarvellousMarch

Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 3y
BookDragonNotWorm I wish I had done this as an audio. I liked it, but got overwhelmed by the looong paragraphs in certain sections. 3y
36 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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janerzy
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Pickpick

I hold it true, whatever befall;
I feel it when I sorrow most;
‘Tis better to have loved and lost
Than never to have loved at all.
~ Alfred Lord Tennyson, In Memoriam

In the end this book is about discovery of the truth of those we love and of ourselves, thru brave, honest, and at times heart aching words, a family bonding thru adventures and explorations that was better to have than not, a love never gone. 💚

janerzy And I whole-heartedly resonate, the bond between us and the loved one we lost still invade every crevice of our lives, “where they geminate and grow, like dropped seeds”, within us back to our beloved nature and planet. 🧡 4y
2 likes1 comment
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Jgotham
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Bailedbailed

I tired so hard to like this book. I waited weeks for my library hold to come in and I‘m on page 39 but..I just don‘t think I can go any further. For a book about adventure for me it was boring. I thought this was a tale about his search for his missing son and what happened. Instead I‘m subjected to his constant bragging about his life and how much of a risk taker he is. Nothing yet on his son at all! I‘ll pick up a different nature/science book

Texreader How disappointing! 4y
Jgotham @Texreader I know! I‘ve been in a bit of a slump 4y
12 likes2 comments
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Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

An engaging, though repetitive, work of #nonfiction written by the explorer Roman Dial. His son, Cody Roman, followed in his footsteps, and became a biologist and nature enthusiast who traveled widely around the world. Cody Roman disappeared in the Costa Rican jungle in 2014. This is the memoir of the search for him and origin story of this interesting and adventurous family. I loved the #audiobook 🧭 🌎

Reagan Oooh sounds good! Stacked! 4y
86 likes1 comment
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Chelsea.Poole
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Lunch at my favorite little spot in town. Eat-in is not available, but there's a sweet little park where I had my soup and sandwich. With a book of course ♥️📖

TEArificbooks Looks yummy 4y
Ruthiella 😋 4y
86 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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Kimberlone
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I left for camping on Friday and had no cell service all weekend, so I totally missed posting my spring quarter reads for #Booked2020. The only one I haven‘t finished is Pan Asian Author/Silk Punk.

Makes you LOL - Uncanny Valley
Parent & Child Memoir - The Adventurer‘s Son
Tartan Noir - The Lost Queen
About Genocide - The Splendid and the Vile
Pan Asian/Silk Punk - n/a
Animal on Cover - Tell the Wolves I‘m Home

BarbaraTheBibliophage I‘ll bet the camping was worth it!! Just add these to your summary post at the end of next season, and you‘ll have LOTS of entries in the drawing. 😃 4y
Kimberlone @BarbaraTheBibliophage I knew I was too late for spring, but I definitely will do at the end of summer! 4y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Perfect—glad you‘re checking off the prompts and having fun! 4y
Cinfhen Sorry you missed the #SpringDrawing but glad you got to be outdoors 🏕now you‘ll have lots of chances for #ThirdQuarterEntry ❣️🥳 4y
41 likes4 comments
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Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

Roman Dial has lived an adventurous life, passing these tendencies along to his son. Here he chronicles some of his own adventures, those with his son, then his son‘s disappearance on a solo trip in Costa Rica. The search for his son takes some wacky turns and he does not learn his fate for nearly 2 years. I feel terrible for Dial, but this is an interesting and engaging adventure memoir.

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BookDragonNotWorm
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Pickpick

I‘ve had a hard time with non-fiction lately, but I enjoyed reading about the naturalist aspects of this book – the plants, animals and science. It took a while for the author to approach the purpose of the book – the story of how his son went missing while hiking in Costa Rica, and what he had to do to find him. Recommended for those who like a slow burning true mystery. Not recommended for those looking for light entertainment.

Cinfhen Great review ~ I‘ve been eyeing this book but not looking for a slow burn right now...I need quick and attention grabbing 4y
BookDragonNotWorm @Cinfhen Thanks! It was good but required a great deal of effort. If I hadn't promised my grandmother I'd read it I probably would have put it down until a later date. 4y
Cinfhen Did your grandma suggest you read this??? That‘s kind of awesome 🙌🏻 4y
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BookDragonNotWorm @Cinfhen Thanks! She's has pretty eclectic reading tastes, but for nonfiction it's mainly books about hiking adventures and rock stars 😂 4y
Cinfhen Your grandma needs to have a bookclub with @Centique dad #HisElderliness 😂❣️❣️❣️He also has eclectic taste and only reads nonfiction. And his #bookreports are pretty legendary 🙌🏻💕 Id love to know the next time your grandma recommends a book @BookDragonNotWorm 😁 4y
Centique @Cinfhen that would be funny! Kudos to your grandma @BookDragonNotWorm - she sounds way cooler than my dad, he wouldn‘t read about rock stars, but down for hiking adventures for sure. 4y
BookDragonNotWorm @Cinfhen Definitely! I'll let you know! 4y
BookDragonNotWorm @Centique Thanks! But I want to learn more about these legendary book reports! 4y
Centique @BookDragonNotWorm I‘ve been tagging them #hiselderliness lately so just click on the tag to see some! 🙃😉 4y
39 likes9 comments
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LinesUponAPage
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My new books to read. What are you reading this week??

Thanks, @LibraryThing and #IGPublshing for the opportunity to read these books in lieu of my honest review.

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LMJenkins
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Library haul!

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ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled
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Mehso-so

Definitely an exercise in seeking forgiveness for his son‘s death. An interesting memoir - and my heart goes out to the author. The first half is his adventurous life, and teaching his son wilderness exploration. The second half is the search. I couldn‘t help but wonder, though, about the rationale behind many of the snapshots (the rescue team, government officials, etc) during the rescue/search effort. Why such photos? 😬

LinesUponAPage I just received this from the publisher. I‘m starting it next week as i have three others to read first. I hope it holds well. 4y
ErickaS_Flyleafunfurled @Lifeisasnap Let me know what you think when you get to it! 👍 4y
50 likes1 stack add3 comments
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JSW

There are books that I dependably reach for, nonfiction subjects I use to self teach, books that are easy go-tos when I don‘t want to think, and there‘s books like this one. I‘m coming clean and admitting I‘m an absolute sucker for outdoors, extreme adventure, dangerous, disappearing into nature books. What‘s your secret book love?

Sace I don't know that I have a "secret" book love. I pretty much openly embrace my reading choices even if people would call them "lesser." Nancy Drew, romance, cheesy teenage romance of the 80s, manga... I'll take them all! 4y
JSW @Sace yessss all the books!! I think it‘s secret for me not because i‘m ashamed but because it‘s not a genre that I think anyone knows I love and it‘s not how I define myself as a reader. 🧐 And why do I even *try* to define myself as a reader anyway? 🤷🏻‍♀️ 4y
Sace @JSW I'll shout my love of Nancy Drew from the rooftops ? I go back and forth with "defining" myself. I read. That good enough for me (this week at least.) 4y
JSW @Sace Nancy Drew is awesome, no doubt. 😂❤️❤️ 4y
16 likes1 stack add4 comments