The Adventurer's Son
Roman Dial raised his children to love the outdoors — from the ice-capped peaks of their home state of Alaska to far-flung islands and rainforests. When 27-year-old Cody sets out on a solo trip through Central America, Roman is proud of his son’s adventurous and self-reliant spirit. Every week or so, Cody sends his parents updates on his travels, delighting them with new experiences and keen observations. One email, sent in July 2014, lays out his plan to hike alone and off-trail for five days through Corcovado National Park, a dense rainforest along the Pacific edge of Costa Rica: “I’ll be bounded by a trail to the west and the coast everywhere else, so it should be difficult to get lost forever."
As the days pass with no more contact from their son, Cody’s last written words take on a new and terrifying meaning for his parents. With few leads and no trace of Cody’s tracks through the jungle, the investigation into his disappearance stalls. Over the span of the next two years, Roman Dial returns again and again to Costa Rica, determined to pressure the local authorities to pursue the case — and if that fails, to scour the valleys and rivers himself.
The Adventurer’s Son is a gripping, emotionally resonant memoir about a father’s desperate search to uncover the truth of his son’s final days.
Quote:
“The travel was difficult, not physically but emotionally, especially when calling his name. My grief painted the jungle black. But the heart of the Osa’s wilderness still left me awed. Every neon-colored dart frog, every emerald-green bird, every fascinating jewel of the jungle that we passed left me with a pang of regret and sadness, remembering how our family had thrilled together at rainforest wonders. Those vivid memories grimly reminded me of why I was here. They left my eyes watery, my heart heavy. But I couldn’t shut out forever the joy in seeing a kingfisher’s blue flash or a spider monkey’s graceful swing. To ignore those pleasures devalued our lifetimes shared in places like this, where we marveled at nature’s creations.”
Author:
Roman Dial is an adventurer, author, and professor of biology and mathematics. He lives and teaches in Alaska, and has published two books: Packrafting! An Introduction and How-to Guide and The Adventurer's Son.
Published: 2020
Length: 368 pages
Main Setting: Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica
Secondary Settings: Alaska, United States; Guatemala