The Ministry of Time

The romantic, sci-fi, comedic, literary, genre-defying bestseller

By: Kaliane Bradley

Narrated by: George Weightman, Katie Leung

The Time Traveller's Wife meets David Mitchell meets Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow meets Kate & Leopold in this debut novel from an award-winning writer.

There are several ways to tell a story.

A boy meets a girl. The past meets the future. A finger meets a trigger. The beginning meets the end. England is forever; England must fall.

A civil servant starts working as a 'bridge' - a liaison, helpmeet and housemate - in an experimental project that brings expatriates from the past into the twenty-first century. This is a science-fiction story.

In a London safehouse in the 2020s, a disorientated Victorian polar explorer chain smokes while listening to Spotify and learning about political correctness. This is a comedy.

During a long, sultry summer - as the shadows around them grow long and dangerous - two people fall in love, against all odds. This is a romance.

The Ministry of Time is a novel about Commander Graham Gore (R.N. c.1809-c.1847) and a woman known only as the bridge. As their relationship turns from the strictly professional into something more and uneasy truths begin to emerge, they are forced to face the reality of the project that brought them together.

Can love triumph over the structures and histories that shape them?

(P)2024 Hodder & Stoughton Limited©2024 Kaliane Bradley

Critic reviews

The debut of the year by a distance . . . propulsive and exhilarating (Five of the year's best summer reads)

What a thrill to come to Kaliane Bradley's debut, The Ministry of Time, a novel where things happen, lots of them, and all of them are exciting to read about and interesting to think about . . . give in to the tide of this book, and let it pull you along. It's very smart; it's very silly; and the obvious fun never obscures completely the sheer, gorgeous, wild stretch of her ideas (Ella Risbridger)

Terrific, moving . . . Bradley's writing is clear and stylish, her dialogue dry and sprightly; the serious matters of love and mortality are cloaked in humour, but never too heavily. If you loved Audrey Niffenegger's The Time Traveller's Wife, or the big hit of 2022, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, this will be right up your street . . . don't wait for this tale to come to the small screen. Crack this book open and you'll see how time can disappear (Erica Wagner)

Simply adorable . . . It's the book I have recommended to friends with the most success (Books of the Year)

This is extraordinary writing, with unforgettable characters and a spine tingling love affair, and manages to be both a serious look at the weight of history and an absolute riot. A true original (Francesca Steele)

I loved its combination of extreme whimsy, high seriousness and cool understatement - and migration-as-time-travel is a clever conceit (Johanna Thomas-Corr)

Fizzing with sharp one-liners about everything from Tinder to e-scooters, the novel is also a thoughtful meditation on imperialism and immigration (50 of the best new books to dive into)

An addictive sci-fi romantic comedy . . . Laugh-out-loud funny and a suprisingly powerful meditation on the climate crisis, it's above all exciting, fun and a good old-fashioned page turner that you'll recommend to all your friends (Best new books to read in 2024)

A thoughtful dive into colonialism via time-travelling expats, the perfect beach read with some literary heft . . . Bradley's debut is also acute on what refuge means in a swiftly changing world (Nilanjana Roy, Journalists pick their favourite book of 2024 so far)

Smart, funny and moving, this debut has been the hit of the year (Five of the best science fiction books of 2024)

Intelligent and witty . . . a clever, funny yarn that breathes fresh air into time-travel novels, postcolonial narratives and romance stories alike . . . a sparkling delight (Bidisha Mamata)

A triumph (Sara Lawrence)

Comedy, betrayal and romance collide in a story that explores everything from climate change and colonialism to friendship, hope and forgiveness. Start backing out of your weekend plans now . . . (Book of the Week)

A powerfully drawn love story, an insider's takedown of murky bureaucracy, an action thriller . . . It's a fun ride

Time travel in a new light

A new spin on time travel, which had me enthralled from the beginning. I have to admit that towards the end, I was a bit lost at times, not really comprehending who did what when, but that didn't really faze me. It is a great story with an intriguing plot, and a lovely romance. The narration by Katie Leung and George Weightman was great.

The interesting theme

The story line was interesting and unusual and kept me engaged all the time.
The characters were very engaging.

Just great writing !

I loved this book. The imagery was just wonderful to listen to and the story was inventive and fresh

Really enjoyable

I really liked the story and characters. I really hope that it was not plagiarized from this Spanish author and that this book will be appreciated on its own merit

Disappointing

I started this book with high expectations as I had seen positive reviews. I could hardly finish it. The narrator’s style made it difficult to follow the story..