The Bridge of San Luis Rey

By: Thornton Wilder

Narrated by: Edoardo Ballerini

Set in Peru in the summer of 1714, this novel tells the tale of a group of interrelated people who perish following the collapse of an Inca rope bridge. A Franciscan friar, Brother Juniper, witnesses the accident and sets out to find out more about each victim, seeking answers—cosmic or otherwise—as to why they had to die. In his quest, Brother Juniper spends six years trying to interview as many people that knew the victims as he can, seeking to prove that both their beginning and their end was part of God's plan for each victim. In doing so, he hopes to document empirical evidence of God's Divine Providence.

Winner of the 1928 Pulitzer Prize and the bestselling work of fiction that same year, this novel is exploration of the meaning of a person's life beyond their personal choices.

Public Domain (P)2023 Dreamscape Media

The Bridge of San Luis Rey

The Bridge of San Luis Rey, written by Thornton Wilder in 1927, is a philosophical novel that explores fate, love, and the meaning of life and mortality through the lens of a tragedy: the collapse of a Peruvian rope bridge. It is a beautiful, contemplative novel that offers a unique and poetic meditation on life, love, and fate. It excels in its philosophical depth and well-crafted prose, but it’s a slow, introspective listen that may not appeal to everyone.
The book was beautifully read by Edoardo Ballerini.

An astonishing book by my favorite author

I fell in love with Wilder after reading his Ides of March. This book is written in an absolutely different style. I am amazed at the stories, their intricate turns, and, ultimately, at their conclusions, so heart-wrenching and yet so cathartic.
Give this book your full attention - it is easy to do as the narration is phenomenal as well. You will experience the sublime.