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Title: a quiet study of lives lived
Review: There is not much to The Bridge at San Luis Rey. In the opening chapter the entire premise is undone, telling of one Brother Juniper and his quest to prove God's motive in a terrible accident that claimed five diverse lives. The narration of this part goes on to tell us that Brother Juniper was unsuccessful in his quest and was eventually charged with heresy for this undertaking and burned at the stake. We then go back in time and learn about the distinctive lives of these five victims, both of their lives and their affect on those around them. It is a quite beautiful story, sweet and hopeful at the end, an enduring picture of lives having meaning and, regardless of the abandonment of the story's initial premise, really quite effective and engaging. Four and a half, rounded down because the book a read immediately prior to it was something held very special in my heart.
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