The Ministry of Time

A Novel

By: Kaliane Bradley

Narrated by: George Weightman, Katie Leung

Length: 10 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK

“This summer’s hottest debut.” —Cosmopolitan • “Witty, sexy escapist fiction [that] packs a substantial punch...Fresh and thrilling.” —Los Angeles Times • “Electric...I loved every second.” —Emily Henry

“Utterly winning...Imagine if The Time Traveler’s Wife had an affair with A Gentleman in Moscow...Readers, I envy you: There’s a smart, witty novel in your future.” —Ron Charles, The Washington Post

A time travel romance, a spy thriller, a workplace comedy, and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and the potential for love to change it all: Welcome to The Ministry of Time, the exhilarating debut novel by Kaliane Bradley.

In the near future, a civil servant is offered the salary of her dreams and is, shortly afterward, told what project she’ll be working on. A recently established government ministry is gathering “expats” from across history to establish whether time travel is feasible—for the body, but also for the fabric of space-time.

She is tasked with working as a “bridge”: living with, assisting, and monitoring the expat known as “1847” or Commander Graham Gore. As far as history is concerned, Commander Gore died on Sir John Franklin’s doomed 1845 expedition to the Arctic, so he’s a little disoriented to be living with an unmarried woman who regularly shows her calves, surrounded by outlandish concepts such as “washing machines,” “Spotify,” and “the collapse of the British Empire.” But with an appetite for discovery, a seven-a-day cigarette habit, and the support of a charming and chaotic cast of fellow expats, he soon adjusts.

Over the next year, what the bridge initially thought would be, at best, a horrifically uncomfortable roommate dynamic, evolves into something much deeper. By the time the true shape of the Ministry’s project comes to light, the bridge has fallen haphazardly, fervently in love, with consequences she never could have imagined. Forced to confront the choices that brought them together, the bridge must finally reckon with how—and whether she believes—what she does next can change the future.

An exquisitely original and feverishly fun fusion of genres and ideas, The Ministry of Time asks: What does it mean to defy history, when history is living in your house? Kaliane Bradley’s answer is a blazing, unforgettable testament to what we owe each other in a changing world.

©2024 Kaliane Bradley (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio

the story was interesting

The performance was monotone. perhaps with a different reader, the whole experience would have been better

So much smoking

The story was fine, but the author uses smoking as a literary device. He ashed here, he ashed there, he tried to ash but couldn’t, he held it, he put it down, he picked it up with two fingers, he smelled like it, he stared at the sky while doing it, he blah blah blah blah blah. 🤮

Sci-fi that doesn’t get bogged down by the sci

A book that is actually about love, choice, and being ruled by the past; it avoids some of the pitfalls of time travel as a concept by not really being about time travel at all. We are all traveling through time, usually forward, it’s merely a question of whether or not you are focusing on the future or the past.

Gorgeous— all of it.

The writing, the story, the narration — all gorgeous. I was not particularly excited to begin a book about time travel, but I adored every minute of this one. Cannot recommend it enough.

Not for me maybe for you

I appreciate that this book was not “hard time travel” and more a storytelling device. That said this story was not for me. It was fine enough but didn’t really see a point in it. You may like it though.

Dual voiced then and now narrators

Fantastic tale based on history. Suspenseful and complicated. Reader must absolutely pay attention. Well done

I enjoyed this more than I expected

This was a book club assignment, and I wasn't too keen on the idea of sci-fi, but I really enjoyed this. The story wasn't instantly clear where it was headed. I appreciated that. It was easy to get invested in the characters.

So unique & beautiful- unlike anything I've ever read!

I admit, much of the beginning premises and details of painful emotional struggles nearly drove me to return this book. Something in the endearing main characters kept me interested- I'm so glad I decided to finish it! Its final morals and themes as well as the story itself are a recipe for a truly meaningful, happy life. Amazing love story- and never before read perspectives within the true depths of humanity. Thank you!

Lots of fun, B-plus light entertainment

I listened while doing sudoku or the easier NYTimes puzzles. Neither alone engages my full attention, but they were a great combination. The characters are interesting and well-drawn enough to be engaging, and the plot is pretty well done. I was sorry to be finished. Thought-provoking in the end. Very satisfying read, if you're someone who doesn't have the energy or patience for actual great literature.

Unusual plot

The characters are richly rounded and their actions and reactions-although not generally predictable-make good sense. Interesting plot/story line.