The Ministry of Time cover art

The Ministry of Time

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

 Preview
Try Standard free
Select 1 audiobook a month from our entire collection.
Listen to your selected audiobooks as long as you're a member.
Get unlimited access to bingeable podcasts.
Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Ministry of Time

By: Kaliane Bradley
Narrated by: George Weightman, Katie Leung
Try Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

 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 Best of 2024 City Life Genre Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Science Fiction Time Travel Urban World Literature England Funny

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
All stars
Most relevant
This is my second time and I found it even better than the first experience. Love the turn of phrases and the beautiful descriptions. Was thoroughly engaged in rather first pages until the very end. The themes raised of imperialism, colonialism, racism, ptsd and others were so deftly explored I was in owe. I had studied the Franklin expedition long ago and the setting just deepened my love for the tragedy that befell on those from the expedition. Do yourself a favour if you love history, time travel and amazing understanding of our emotional limitations- listen to this perfect piece

An absolute gem

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I’d read reviews that the ending was terrible but I failed to find anything to disappoint me. I found it worth the read/listen as a story. The performances were also good.

Surprisingly satisfying

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved the story, loved the language, loved the sentiment. Thank you for writing such a thought provoking novel.

Fascinating

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
The Ministry of Time presents some fascinating concepts and had the potential to become something truly great. However, despite the intriguing premise, I found that the story fell short of expectations. It lacked substance for much of the book, with things only picking up around the 85% mark. It’s a shame because it came highly recommended, but ultimately, it left me feeling underwhelmed and wanting more. While the ideas were promising, the execution didn’t quite live up to its potential.

My rating: 3/5.

Falls short of expectations

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Loved this book, It was brilliantly written and the narration was spot on. I really felt as though I was there as I was listening.

Ministry of time review

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews
In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.