Historical Fiction · ThoughtfulA rope bridge in Peru collapses and a friar asks why those five died
The Bridge of San Luis Rey
Five people die when a bridge falls, and a friar investigates their lives
In 1714 an Inca-built rope bridge on the road between Lima and Cuzco in Peru collapses, killing five travelers. Brother Juniper, a Franciscan friar who witnessed the disaster, investigates the victims' lives, searching for a cosmic explanation for why each died.
More about this book
Who
Brother Juniper, a Franciscan friar; the Marquesa de Montemayor; her companion Pepita; the twin scribes Esteban and Manuel; the actress Camila Perichole; and Uncle Pio.
World
Peru, on the road between Lima and Cuzco, in 1714.
What makes it different
It won the 1928 Pulitzer Prize for the Novel, was the best-selling work of fiction in 1928 and ranked 37th on the Modern Library's list of the 100 best 20th-century novels in 1998.
Feel
Compact and reflective.
Page count and cover shown for: Selected edition
Behind the book
Wilder said the novel's central idea grew out of friendly debates with his father, a strict Calvinist, about whether God's love outweighs divine judgment.
Source: Wikipedia
Further reading
- The Bridge of San Luis ReyWikipedia