The Bridge of San Luis Rey

Unpublished novel notes as well as more informative documentary information are included in this lovely new edition which also includes a brand-new afterword by Tappan Wilder. Five visitors fell into the gulf below when the best bridge in all of Peru collapsed at midday on Friday July 20 1714. The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder one of the greatest works of American literature and a widely-read book opens with this well-known line. Unexpectedly a monk sees the catastrophe. Brother Juniper then sets out on a mission to establish that the deaths of those who perished in the catastrophe were not the result of chance but rather divine intervention. His quest ultimately results in his own demise and the authors enduring exploration of the nature of love and the significance of the human predicament.