The Bridge of San Luis Rey is a novel written by Thornton Wilder and first published in 1927. The novel tells the story of five people who were on the Bridge of San Luis Rey, an Inca rope bridge in Peru, when it collapsed, killing them all. The narrator, who is a historian, tries to understand why these particular people were on the bridge at that moment, and why they had to die. The novel explores the themes of love, fate, and the role of chance in human life. Each of the five people who died on the bridge had their own story, and the novel delves into their pasts to understand what led them to be on the bridge at that moment. The novel also explores the impact of their deaths on the people who knew them. The Bridge of San Luis Rey won the Pulitzer Prize in 1928 and is considered one of Wilder's greatest works. It has been adapted into a number of films, plays, and operas. Thornton Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was a prolific American writer, known for his contributions to both the theater and the literary world.