A review by cinderellasbookshelf
The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.75

This is the kind of book I want to reread multiple times because I know I’ll always find something new or discover something I may have missed. 
 
It’s hard to put into words how much I love THE MINISTRY OF TIME. It has a little bit of everything and is written so well. I had been curious about it after @em_jacobs_reads recommended it and the idea of time travel being at the center of it. 
 
Stories about time travel always fascinate me, whether it be in books or in movies, because of what it unravels. In this case, THE MINISTRY OF TIME explores what it would mean to bring someone from the past (who was already meant to die in history, so there’s no disruption to the space time continuum) and immerse them into our modern world? What would it be like for the person in the present helping them adjust to the displacement and what would their relationship be because of it? 
 
My first thought upon that is the movie “Kate and Leopold,” but Kaliane Bradley pushes it further into a realistic perspective. Through her prose, prolific vocabulary, and grounded storytelling, she’s able to explore and ponder on society, race, gender, and technology in both the past, present, and even the future that had me contemplating for days what I had read. 
 
At the heart of this novel is an unnamed British-Cambodian female narrator, who is assigned to be a “Bridge” for Commander Graham Gore from 1847, who actually did exist in real life. I really liked seeing their relationship play out between Gore’s larger than life presence that also exudes sensitivity, and the Bridge’s complex history while being torn between duty and her own affections for Gore. Humorous at times and subtly beautiful and thought-provoking in between, especially in the later half. 
 
The story does take an action-packed turn near the end that may remove some readers from what is initially presented, but it didn’t really bother me. The final moments round it all back. 
 
This is not the kind of story you would expect, but becomes much more. Time travel isn’t just about time, but is also a journey within yourself and who you can choose to be from it. 

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