I went into this book expecting something very different, I expected it to be more about religion than it was. While it is true that most of the characters were religious, that wasn't the focus at all. Instead, I found a moving story about human lives, how the victims of this tragedy were connected to one another, and how love influences their lives. 

One of the things you question as a religious person is why God allows tragedies to happen. I thought that this question presupposes that God micromanages our lives, and I think that it's a very unfair view. The character of the monk in this book initially believed that the fall of the bridge and the subsequent deaths were a result of a punishment. Instead, the characters' backstories and motivations for being on the bridge on that day, at that moment were far more complex. I thought this illustrative of how real life is also more complex and often averse to simple explanations. 

Each story of each character was rich and thoughtfully introduced and told. The threads of how their lives cross with each other were beautifully woven, making for a complete story. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will think of it in the months to come.