
Bocas: A Novel
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $14.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Patrick Zeller
-
By:
-
Thomas M. Barron
About this listen
Finalist - Tuscon Festival of Books
Finalist - IAN Book Awards
Semifinalist - Kindle Book Awards
George thought he’d finally escaped Shawna by picking up an easy bartending gig in Bocas del Toro, Panama.
With an extra 400 dollars per month to edit an online love column keeping him afloat, he spends his days swimming and drinking beers with his roommate PJ.
Does the occasional female tourist ever sleep over? Sure. But that’s nothing compared to PJ’s scorecard. PJ should be registered with the center for disease control.
Warm water, cold beers, and no Shawna - life couldn’t be better on the island. Until George takes a little road trip to Colombia. Raúl, his boss at the bar, offered him a free ride. He always knew Raúl moved a little bit of cocaine. Who doesn’t? But guns?
So...he absolutely should not write Shawna. That clever soul-crushing beauty destroyed him. Maybe it would be ok if she came for just a week? Just one week....
©2018 Thomas M. Barron (P)2018 Thomas M. BarronListeners also enjoyed...
-
Bad Karma
- The True Story of a Mexico Trip from Hell
- By: Paul Wilson
- Narrated by: Joe Zieja
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 1978, 21-year-old Paul Wilson jumps at the chance to join two local icons on a dream surf trip to mainland Mexico, unaware their ultimate destination lies in the heart of the drug cartel country. Having no earthly idea of where he’ll get the money to pay his share and determined to prove his mettle, he does the only thing he can think of: He robs a supermarket.
-
-
Incredible
- By Ed Leon AKA Perro on 05-15-21
By: Paul Wilson
-
All Our Waves Are Water: Stumbling Toward Enlightenment and the Perfect Ride
- By: Jaimal Yogis
- Narrated by: Danny Hughes
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this meditative memoir - a compelling fusion of Barbarian Days and the journals of Thomas Merton - the author of Saltwater Buddha reflects on his "failing toward enlightenment," his continued search to find meaning and a greater understanding of grace in the world’s oceans as well as everyday life. Born to a family of seekers, Jaimal Yogis left home at 16 to surf in Hawaii and join a monastery - an adventure he chronicled in Saltwater Buddha. Now, in his early 20s, his heart is broken and he’s lost his way.
By: Jaimal Yogis
-
Pipe Dreams
- A Surfer's Journey
- By: Kelly Slater
- Narrated by: Todd Haberkorn
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eleven-time world surfing champion, actor, and American heartthrob Kelly Slater tells his inspiring story of triumph over adversity. From Beach Blanket Bingo to Baywatch to Blue Crush, surfing has fascinated people for years, and Kelly Slater is the sport’s hottest star. He has won more world championships than any other competitor, and he continues to change peoples’ minds about what can and can’t be done on a surfboard.
-
-
Not about surfing
- By Deborah McCandless on 07-31-21
By: Kelly Slater
-
All for a Few Perfect Waves
- The Audacious Life and Legend of Rebel Surfer Miki Dora
- By: David Rensin
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 19 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 20 years, Miki "Da Cat" Dora was the king of Malibu surfers - a dashing, enigmatic rebel who dominated the waves, ruled his peers' imaginations, and who still inspires the fantasies of wannabes to this day. And yet, Dora railed against surfing's sudden post-Gidget popularity and the overcrowding of his once empty waves, even after this avid sportsman, iconoclast, and scammer of wide repute ran afoul of the law and led the FBI on a remarkable seven-year chase around the globe in 1974.
-
-
Disappointing
- By L. Fogelquist on 02-16-22
By: David Rensin
-
Life of the Party
- Stories of a Perpetual Man-Child
- By: Bert Kreischer
- Narrated by: Bert Kreischer
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bert Kreischer doesn't know how to say "no." If he did, he wouldn't have gotten himself mixed up with a group of Russian mobsters on a class trip to Moscow, earning him his nickname: "The Machine." He wouldn't have wrestled with a bear or swum with sharks on national television. He wouldn't have (possibly) smoked PCP with a star of Saturday Night Live. And he wouldn't have been named the Number One Partier in the Nation by Rolling Stone, inspired the movie National Lampoon's Van Wilder, or performed standup to sellout crowds across the country.
-
-
Fart Chrysler
- By Ryan Bonifay on 05-23-17
By: Bert Kreischer
-
Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea
- By: Chelsea Handler
- Narrated by: Chelsea Handler
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this wickedly honest new work, Chelsea Handler casts the net wider with even funnier results, recalling the most noteworthy highs and lows of her life to date - including her efforts to diversify by dating red-haired men, her obsession with midgets, and the dog-sitting interlude in which her boyfriend became overly familiar with a Peekapoo.
-
-
Just Plain FUNNYYYY!!!!!!!!!
- By Theodore on 04-27-12
By: Chelsea Handler
-
Bad Karma
- The True Story of a Mexico Trip from Hell
- By: Paul Wilson
- Narrated by: Joe Zieja
- Length: 6 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In the summer of 1978, 21-year-old Paul Wilson jumps at the chance to join two local icons on a dream surf trip to mainland Mexico, unaware their ultimate destination lies in the heart of the drug cartel country. Having no earthly idea of where he’ll get the money to pay his share and determined to prove his mettle, he does the only thing he can think of: He robs a supermarket.
-
-
Incredible
- By Ed Leon AKA Perro on 05-15-21
By: Paul Wilson
-
All Our Waves Are Water: Stumbling Toward Enlightenment and the Perfect Ride
- By: Jaimal Yogis
- Narrated by: Danny Hughes
- Length: 6 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this meditative memoir - a compelling fusion of Barbarian Days and the journals of Thomas Merton - the author of Saltwater Buddha reflects on his "failing toward enlightenment," his continued search to find meaning and a greater understanding of grace in the world’s oceans as well as everyday life. Born to a family of seekers, Jaimal Yogis left home at 16 to surf in Hawaii and join a monastery - an adventure he chronicled in Saltwater Buddha. Now, in his early 20s, his heart is broken and he’s lost his way.
By: Jaimal Yogis
-
Pipe Dreams
- A Surfer's Journey
- By: Kelly Slater
- Narrated by: Todd Haberkorn
- Length: 8 hrs and 26 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eleven-time world surfing champion, actor, and American heartthrob Kelly Slater tells his inspiring story of triumph over adversity. From Beach Blanket Bingo to Baywatch to Blue Crush, surfing has fascinated people for years, and Kelly Slater is the sport’s hottest star. He has won more world championships than any other competitor, and he continues to change peoples’ minds about what can and can’t be done on a surfboard.
-
-
Not about surfing
- By Deborah McCandless on 07-31-21
By: Kelly Slater
-
All for a Few Perfect Waves
- The Audacious Life and Legend of Rebel Surfer Miki Dora
- By: David Rensin
- Narrated by: Sean Runnette
- Length: 19 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
For 20 years, Miki "Da Cat" Dora was the king of Malibu surfers - a dashing, enigmatic rebel who dominated the waves, ruled his peers' imaginations, and who still inspires the fantasies of wannabes to this day. And yet, Dora railed against surfing's sudden post-Gidget popularity and the overcrowding of his once empty waves, even after this avid sportsman, iconoclast, and scammer of wide repute ran afoul of the law and led the FBI on a remarkable seven-year chase around the globe in 1974.
-
-
Disappointing
- By L. Fogelquist on 02-16-22
By: David Rensin
-
Life of the Party
- Stories of a Perpetual Man-Child
- By: Bert Kreischer
- Narrated by: Bert Kreischer
- Length: 5 hrs and 35 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Bert Kreischer doesn't know how to say "no." If he did, he wouldn't have gotten himself mixed up with a group of Russian mobsters on a class trip to Moscow, earning him his nickname: "The Machine." He wouldn't have wrestled with a bear or swum with sharks on national television. He wouldn't have (possibly) smoked PCP with a star of Saturday Night Live. And he wouldn't have been named the Number One Partier in the Nation by Rolling Stone, inspired the movie National Lampoon's Van Wilder, or performed standup to sellout crowds across the country.
-
-
Fart Chrysler
- By Ryan Bonifay on 05-23-17
By: Bert Kreischer
-
Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea
- By: Chelsea Handler
- Narrated by: Chelsea Handler
- Length: 6 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In this wickedly honest new work, Chelsea Handler casts the net wider with even funnier results, recalling the most noteworthy highs and lows of her life to date - including her efforts to diversify by dating red-haired men, her obsession with midgets, and the dog-sitting interlude in which her boyfriend became overly familiar with a Peekapoo.
-
-
Just Plain FUNNYYYY!!!!!!!!!
- By Theodore on 04-27-12
By: Chelsea Handler
-
Now That You Mention It
- By: Kristan Higgins
- Narrated by: Xe Sands
- Length: 11 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It's been over a decade since Nora left her hometown of Scupper Island, Maine, and very seldom looked back. She's carved out a successful life in Boston, where no one knows her as the awkward girl with the delinquent sister and the dad who left, but a not-as-dramatic-as-it-sounds brush with death has her taking stock of her life. Inspired to reconnect with her prickly mother and snarky teenage niece, Nora returns home for the summer, where she's forced to face the people she's spent the last ten years trying to avoid.
-
-
Trigger warning needed
- By Kindle Customer on 02-16-18
By: Kristan Higgins
-
Uganda Be Kidding Me
- By: Chelsea Handler
- Narrated by: Chelsea Handler
- Length: 5 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Wherever Chelsea Handler travels, one thing is certain: she always ends up in the land of the ridiculous. Now, in this uproarious collection, she sneaks her sharp wit through airport security and delivers her most absurd and hilarious stories ever.
-
-
Hilarious!
- By Michelle on 02-24-15
By: Chelsea Handler
-
Rebel Heir: Book One
- The Rush Series, Volume 1
- By: Vi Keeland, Penelope Ward
- Narrated by: Maxine Mitchell, Sebastian York
- Length: 6 hrs and 55 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
How to kick off a great summer in the Hamptons: Snag a gorgeous rental on the beach. Check. Get a job at a trendy summer haunt. Check. How to screw up a great summer in the Hamptons: Fall for the one guy with a dark leather jacket, scruff on his face, and intense eyes that doesn’t fit in with the rest of the tony-looking crowd. A guy you can’t have when you’ll be leaving at the end of the season. Check. Check. Check.
-
-
Great story BUT
- By Maria on 04-25-18
By: Vi Keeland, and others
-
On the Hit List
- By: Timothy Dalton
- Narrated by: Jeff Hays
- Length: 4 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
*My name is Ellis DeAngelo.* I tend to get caught in the midst of trouble quite often. I'm an unlucky guy, but fortunate to have friends to help me out. These aren't the memoirs of a geisha you'll be hearing. And most definitely not some soul-searching discovery that depicts eating, praying, and loving. This is so much better...or worse, depending on your perspective.
-
-
This book is hi-larious.
- By superstardrifter on 11-19-16
By: Timothy Dalton
-
The Winter of Frankie Machine
- By: Don Winslow
- Narrated by: Dennis Boutsikaris
- Length: 9 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Frank Machianno is a late-middle-aged ex-surf bum who runs a bait shack on the San Diego waterfront. An affable Italian with a love of people and life, he's a stand-up businessman, devoted father, and a beloved fixture in the community. He's also a hit man - specifically, a retired hit man. Back in the day when he was one of the most feared members of the West Coast Mafia, he was known as Frankie Machine.
-
-
Five stars straight across the board
- By Eric Taylor on 06-28-12
By: Don Winslow
-
Our Kingdom of Dust
- By: Leonard Kinsey
- Narrated by: Leonard Kinsey
- Length: 4 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Man-child Blaine McKinnon is brilliant, wealthy, and completely alone. After an emotional breakdown, Blaine starts a new life at the only place he was ever truly happy: Walt Disney World. But he soon finds that just below the surface of his childhood paradise lies a kingdom corrupted by drugs, violence, and deceit. For the first time, Kinsey brings his fresh writing style to the world of fiction, with astounding results. Our Kingdom of Dust deftly combines and insightful and riveting tale with the humor and irreverence.
-
-
A nice short listen.
- By aussieGeorge68 on 06-18-14
By: Leonard Kinsey
-
I've Got This Round
- More Tales of Debauchery
- By: Mamrie Hart
- Narrated by: Mamrie Hart
- Length: 6 hrs and 46 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Mamrie simultaneously enters her 30s and finds herself single for the first time since college, the world is suddenly full of possibilities. Emboldened by the cool confidence that comes with the end of one's 20s plus the newfound independence of an attachment-free lifestyle, Mamrie commits herself to living life with even more spirit, adventure, and heart than before.
-
-
PDF?
- By Therese Bjørge on 09-29-18
By: Mamrie Hart
-
Something Like Normal
- By: Trish Doller
- Narrated by: Anthony Haden Salerno
- Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Travis returns home from Afghanistan, his parents are splitting up, his brother's stolen his girlfriend and car, and the nightmares of his best friend getting killed keep him completely spooked. But when he runs into Harper, a girl who despises him for rumors Travis started back in middle school, life actually starts looking up. And as he and Harper see more of each other, he falls deeper in love with her and begins to find his way through the family meltdown and the post-traumatic stress.
-
-
I was so impressed with this book!
- By Brittany on 09-24-15
By: Trish Doller
-
Unscripted Hearts
- By: Peter Styles
- Narrated by: Randi Johnson
- Length: 5 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
I never imagined I'd get this kind of news. Suddenly, I have a nephew that is an orphan. I can't understand what happened and I still half-expect my sister to walk through the door at any moment. He's never leaving my arms again. Yet here comes Mr. Big Shot, ready to steal the last bit of my sister that I have away from me. I'll do anything to keep him.
-
-
GREAT STORY!
- By G C on 03-13-19
By: Peter Styles
-
Bliss
- A Novel
- By: Shay Mitchell, Michaela Blaney
- Narrated by: Shay Mitchell
- Length: 8 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Sophia Marcus, 21, has already mapped out every aspect of her glamorous life as a Hollywood actor on her vision board. But her life right now in Toronto is anything but exciting. Attending fruitless auditions during the day and working at a douche-y club at night, Sophia is starting to feel like she's going nowhere...slowly. Demi Michaels, Sophia's best friend, didn't go to college after high school. Short of ideas for her own future, she puts her energy into building the perfect relationship with an older man.
-
-
Truly inspiring!!!
- By beatriz on 10-08-15
By: Shay Mitchell, and others
-
Embrace Fearlessly the Burning World
- Essays
- By: Barry Lopez, Rebecca Solnit - introduction
- Narrated by: James Naughton, Rebecca Solnit
- Length: 10 hrs and 8 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
An ardent steward of the land, fearless traveler, and unrivaled observer of nature and culture, Barry Lopez died after a long illness on Christmas Day 2020. The previous summer, a wildfire had consumed much of what was dear to him in his home place and the community around it—a tragic reminder of the climate change of which he’d long warned.
-
-
Intense and beautifully personal
- By Karen West on 06-28-23
By: Barry Lopez, and others
-
Gulliver Takes Manhattan
- By: Justin Luke Zirilli
- Narrated by: Cole Ferguson
- Length: 10 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Gulliver Leverenz abandons LA to make a fresh start in New York, he leaves behind his family, his friends - and one bastard ex-boyfriend. It’s certainly an impulse move: Gully has no job, no money, and no direction. What he does have is a former fraternity brother with a posh apartment, a crew of incredibly hot friends, and a reputation as a rising star in the gay nightlife scene. As luck would have it, Gully soon snags a job with a talent agent and even finds himself a new boyfriend. There’s just one catch...
-
-
Stupid
- By P. Bowen on 01-15-14
What listeners say about Bocas: A Novel
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Stephanie
- 07-20-22
Great mental vacation and fun read (or listen)
Love the whole series (Bocas, Bronte, and Bolinas). I listened to them all on Audible while i was driving in my car or walking my dog. Fun and entertaining reads, cool characters, great balance of adventure, romance, dangerous escapades, and people (largely) doing the right thing while somewhat avoiding ‘real life’. Total mental vacation. Fun to read the actual books (as I did first with Bocas) as well as to listen to them through Audible (as I did for all three). Enjoy!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- jennifer aase
- 09-14-18
Fun read
Are you looking for a fun easy read? I highly recommend that you read (or listen as I did) to Bocas! It’s a romantic comedy with amazing characters that will feel like you know them. Since it’s written in the first person I felt like I knew George and loved the insight into his life. I can’t wait until the author releases the next book!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Joseph Pham
- 04-01-18
Raw and Beautiful
Don’t judge Bocas by it’s cover - it’s not just about a white guy’s adventure on a tropical island. It’s a captivating story of life’s beautiful imperfections.
I started listening to this book as it was highly recommended by a friend. However minutes into the story, I could not stop. I ended up listening to the entire the book in one day.
I was really drawn in by the tenderness and vulnerability of the main character George. His takes on sex and relationships are comical, unapologetically real yet respectful. And his insights about friends and life are refreshing and drew many chuckles throughout the day.
But the book is not all talk. The plot builds nicely with an unexpected twist towards the end - to make Bocas even more endearing.
Patrick Zeller’s narration is wonderful. His performance added warmth, depth and empathy for the book’s multiple heroines and heroes.
Hats off to Thomas Barron for not being afraid to write a story that exposes imperfection of humanity. And doing so in a way that is gentle and spellbinding.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful