A top secret branch of the British government is experimenting with time travel, and it is taking certain individuals, called “expats,” from the past and bringing them to the present day. The Ministry of Time is the story of a civil servant who is tasked with assisting expat Commander Graham Gore, thought to have perished in a failed Arctic expedition in the 19th century, adjust to modern life. It turns out that this involves teaching him how to bike, how to Google things, copious amounts of smoking and cooking, and also falling deeply in love—that is, until the true purpose of the experiment, as well as a deep deception, comes to light.  

There is something very refreshing about The Ministry of Time. Kaliane Bradley’s prose is snappy and invigorating, and the themes feel very well-calibrated, especially when it comes to the race politics in the book—the protagonist and narrator is a British-Cambodian woman, and pairing her with a Victorian gentleman who lived during the height of the British empire brought out some riveting dynamics. The narrator doesn’t condemn Graham for his eccentricities or for the actions of his past, but brings certain beliefs, especially his belief in the government he served, up close for examination. This feels even more important as Graham’s tragic time in the Arctic comes to light, and it’s very easy to fall in love with Graham because of this as well—he shows himself as someone who, to put it very simply, tries hard and earnestly to learn from the mistakes of the past. As much a sultry romance as it is a political thriller, I did find the novel to be a bit slow at the beginning, but after I crossed a certain threshold, it was very hard to put it down. 

Feels like: Discovering old love letters in an attic, the moments right before a villain reveal

My rating: 5 stars