Who hasn't dreamed of creating a new life by escaping to a paradise island? The author did just that and almost didn't live to tell about it. Midlife Monkeylala is the true story of a teacher's wacky adventures on the remote island of Roatan, Honduras, in the early 1990s before modernization. The author fuses a fascinating treasure trove of history and culture with life-threatening mishaps and local tragedies. Descriptions of school fiascos, quirky villagers, and misadventures of Miss Winnie's Fishing Folly are humorous. The author's growth from self-indulgent outsider to compassionate champion of indigent islanders is heartwarming. The author returned to Roatan twenty years later to resume learning about the true nature of paradise.