The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley
The Ministry of Time is about controlled time travel with an historical aspect. It also displays manipulation and intrigue with a touch of romance, all wrapped up in a Doctor Who type episode scenario.
The story is set in the near future where experimentation is being made in time travel and individuals are plucked from various times long past to be assimilated into the 21st century.
Into this experiment is thrust a young disillusioned female public servant ‘bridge’ one of four who are assigned a person from previous times who, after having gone through a few weeks of intense training to adjust to the 21st century, are to be developed under their care. They are monitored by supervisors to make sure these new people don’t veer off into the unknown as it is intimated that others have in the past.
Those brought forward are a plague victim from 1665, a soldier from the Battle of Naseby of 1645, an Army Captain who died in the battlefields of France in 1916 as well as a female from Paris France in 1793.
Our narrator, Cora, is assigned Commander Graham Gore who died on Sir John Franklin’s ill-fated expedition to the Arctic in 1847/48 and is a little confused to find himself alive and in a time where woman have so much power, washing machines exist as well as motor cycles. He takes to many of the newer inventions with aplomb especially ready rolled cigarettes!
It is not long before the true nature of the project starts to take shape and Commander Gore and his “bridge” need to protect themselves from evil forces within the Ministry and confront their possible future.
This book is quirky but serious as it confronts the past horrific events that happened during the participants lives as they remember them and beyond. It is clever and engaging with many twists and turns which makes for a compelling read.
The author has added a bit of fun and spice with a “grown up” romance that is totally believable given the circumstances. Her narrative is correct for the times the “expats’ come from and it is wonderful watching them all navigate life in the 21st century, be it successful or not. The author has made the premise of the novel totally believable and she deserves ample recognition.