The Bridge of San Luis Rey

The collapse of a rope bridge in Peru sets a friar on a quest to learn about those who were lost in this classic, Nobel Prize–winning novel.

Peru, 1714. On the road between Lima and Cuzco, a century-old rope bridge collapses while five people are crossing it. Brother Juniper, a Franciscan monk, is about to cross the bridge himself when he witnesses the incident. To reconcile his faith with this seemingly senseless tragedy, Brother Juniper embarks on a years-long journey to learn all he can about the individuals who lost their lives. Through their interwoven stories, Thornton Wilder reveals his own profound reflections on the nature of love, fate, and free will.

The Bridge of San Luis Rey was met with worldwide acclaim when it was first published in 1927. Today, it is widely considered one of the towering achievements of American literature.