The bridge of San Luis Rey

This pullitzer fiction winner is a novella by Thornton Wilder which tries to answer a perennial question "Why do bad things happen to good people?" Is it because we live in a dystopian society where good is always rewarded by something horrific or is this just another way to test our spirit and faith in a divine entity. Five people fall down to their death when a rickety old bridge falls down in a mountain pass over Lima. This singular event captures the imagination of a young friar named Brother Juniper who wants to prove that this is not just an accident but has some divine logic behind it. The story weaves around the friar building character studies of each of the five victims to find out patterns which might have led them to this unfortunate accident. As expected, the brother fails to find any and the church views the book as heretical for even conjuring up the audacity to question God's will.. Ultimately in a twist of fate both the friar and his creation are both burnt at the stake in the Lima's town center. An interesting but philosophical read :)