Thornton Wilder’s novel The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927) explores profound questions about fate, divine will, and the meaning of human life. Set in 18th-century Peru, the story begins with the tragic collapse of an ancient Inca rope bridge, which kills five travelers. A Franciscan monk, Brother Juniper, sets out to investigate the lives of the victims in hopes of understanding why they died—was it divine intervention or random chance?