The Ministry of Time: Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2025

by Kaliane Bradley

The instant Sunday Times and New York Times bestseller

'The hit of the year'
Guardian
'Addictive'
Independent

'Crack this book open and you'll see how time can disappear'
Financial Times

'Readers, I envy you: There's a smart, witty novel in your future'
Washington Post

A civil servant is offered a lucrative job in a mysterious new government ministry gathering 'expats' from across history to test whether time-travel is feasible.

Her role is to work as a 'bridge': living with, supporting and monitoring expat '1847' - Commander Graham Gore, a former Victorian polar explorer. Gore, an adventurer by trade, soon adjusts to this bizarre new world of washing machines, feminism and Spotify; and during a long, sultry summer the pair move from awkwardness to friendship to something more.

But as the true shape of the project that brought them together begins to emerge, Gore and the bridge are forced to confront their past choices and imagined futures. Can love triumph over the histories that have shaped them? And how do you defy that history when it is living in your house?

A Barack Obama reading pick

Shortlisted for the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize
Shortlisted for the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for comic fiction
Shortlisted for the Edward Stanford Travel Writing Award
Longlisted for the Climate Fiction Prize

One of the 18 best novels of the year for the Sunday Times
A book of the year for the New York Times, Guardian, Independent, Evening Standard, Spectator, Red, NPR, Vanity Fair, People, Slate, Advocate, Sydney Morning Herald, Globe and Mail, Den of Geek, Good Housekeeping, Goodreads, NetGalley and Smithsonian Magazine

• ISBN10: 139972634X
• ISBN13: 9781399726344
• Publish Date: 16 May 2024 (first published 7 May 2024)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: GB
• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Imprint: Sceptre
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 368
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Book Summary:

Would you take a top-secret job without knowing the details first? Frequently, that's how life goes - you only learn the details of a top-secret job once you've signed all the paperwork. Thus, before she knew it, our leading lady found herself tasked to act as a bridge for a time traveler.

Yes, you read that right. The time traveler in question didn't sign up for the project, but he's here nonetheless. It'll be her job to keep Commander Graham Gore stable in this timeline, ideally learning more about his past while she's at it.

My Review:

Huh. The Ministry of Time is not what I expected. I'm not exactly sure what I expected, but let's be real: you tease "spy thriller meets travel romance," and you've got my attention. That said, I feel like this book ended up being more historical fiction with a dash of drama, romance, and self-insert fantasy.

That's still a lot for one book, mind you. That's why some elements of The Ministry of Time work and some don't. For example, I LOVE the premise of pulling people from the past to our timeline as a way of time-traveling. It's such an oblivious idea, and yet I'm shocked to say that I haven't read anything like it (if you have, please name the books; I need more).

That said, I could have done without the romantic element. There are a few reasons for this. The first is that our time traveler is a real historical figure, so putting him in a sexual context (with a made-up/self-insert character) felt kind of squick. I also feel like it straight up wasn't needed and bordered on toxic at times. But that's just my hot take, I suppose.

As for the spy thriller element? Hrm. It was a bit all over the place. Again, some good, some bad. Overall, I wouldn't say that I regret this read, but I wish that had been done differently (so as to live up to that amazing potential).

Highlights:
Time Travel Mystery
Historical Fiction
Romantic Elements
Spy Thriller

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[Terri M. LeBlanc]

The Ministry of Time was a delightful fun time travel book. What a unique concept! Equal parts mystery, political intrigue and laugh out loud funny. I can't wait for other to discover this book.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.