The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

A Five-Star Book Review

Would you travel back in time or into the future? I believe many of us have considered this question at some point. It’s a nice thought, right? To imagine that you could visit an ancestor or pop into a different era to see how the world has changed.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley tells a story of time travel in a five-star view that I won’t soon forget.

Summary of The Ministry of Time (No Spoilers)

In the near future of our current world, The Ministry of Time’s unnamed female main narrator has joined a new operation in England’s government: to be a bridge for Naval Commander Graham Gore, who—according to all historic accounts—died during a failed exploration of the Arctic in 1847. The narrator is charged with helping Gore (an expat, as the Ministry refers to these time travelers) adjust to life two centuries past his time.

As Gore becomes acclimated to the present and forms bonds with the other expats, the narrator fights her growing emotional attachment to him. And, those feelings grow more complex when she learns that the Ministry’s operation may be in danger.

What I Enjoyed About The Ministry of Time

The Ministry of Time was a slow read for me, not one that I wanted to rush through. It’s not a perfect novel, but I enjoyed it thoroughly because of the characters and their interactions, as well as the message of otherness.

• The Characters: The expats—Gore and his fellow time travelers—bring levity to scenes with their observations about our world. I loved Gore’s dry humor and wit, and I thought the narrator’s explanations were apt for why things are the way they are.
• A Sense of Otherness: The narrator is the daughter of a Cambodian immigrant and a an Englishman. She tells us about her personal life, from listening to her mother’s abbreviated stories about Cambodia to her physical appearance as she questions if Gore recognizes that she is both Asian and English. Her feelings of ‘otherness’ are similar to those of the expats at times as they are trying to navigate their new space and time.

My Final Thoughts About The Ministry of Time

I enjoyed The Ministry of Time for its story and characters. While it’s not a book that I would read again, it sits firmly in my five-star category.