I was watching a TV show called The Terror. It aired in 2018, but I was watching it in lockdown 2021. And I was struggling to follow what was going on. It’s a great show, but I had lockdown brain. I just thought, “I’m not quite sure what’s going on. There are a lot of people that are all talking, they all look the same — they’re all white guys with mutton chops and big, arctic coats…” So I looked at the fan wiki. And under the bloopers section they referred to a guy called Graham Gore. I went to his Wikipedia page and read about him. And as I was reading it, I just thought, “My God, this man sounds so competent and chill and nice.” It was April 2021. I had just started a new job in January. And I hadn’t met any of my colleagues because we were still isolating, and I couldn’t get the VPN to work. And it was very stressful. I was like, “I bet Gore could get the VPN to work. I bet he wouldn’t cry. He’d just handle this lockdown. He’d have no problems and be fine.
So that’s why I kind of latched on to him.
― Kaliane Bradley, Bookweb
What booksellers are saying about The Ministry of Time
- What if time travelers had tour guides to help them adjust? Maybe they would find things they like along the way – TV, pre-rolled cigarettes, the tour guide? Loved this books mixing timelines and people from a variety of eras and social classes. The history feels genuine and well researched (had to look up a picture of Graham Gore to see if he really was that cute) Time travelers trying to live a normal life, slowly discovering that things aren’t as simple as getting a job and taking care of your apartment. Just the right tone for the requisite love interests between historical and contemporary characters. Mowed right through this in a weekend.
― Doloris Vest, Book No Further in Roanoke, Virginia | BUY
- I can’t remember the last time I was so charmed by a novel ― or more particularly, by a character in a novel. Lieutenant Graham Gore alone is worth the read, but thankfully he’s just part of an immensely satisfying reading experience. Time travel, espionage, explorations of climate change and colonialism, romance ― this book has it all. I highly recommend this book ― you will grin all the way through!
― Chelsea Bauer, union ave books in Knoxville, Tennessee | BUY
- A “time travel romance, spy thriller, workplace comedy and an ingenious exploration of the nature of power and potential for love to change it all”. I didn’t know how it would all work but it does. And it does it well. I instantly became invested in the characters and their journey. Highly recommend this “genre bender.”
― Kelley Barnes, Page 158 Books in Wake Forest, North Carolina | BUY
- One part Bill Ted’s Excellent Adventure, one part James Bond, and two parts Kate and Leopold and you have this charming, engaging adventure that can not be put down! Bradley’s writing is a magic trick; the romance scintillates, the comedy delivers, and her discussion on identity is brilliant. Don’t miss this one!
― Dominic Howarthm, Book & Bottle in St. Petersburg, Florida | BUY
About Kaliane Bradley
Kaliane Bradley is a British-Cambodian writer and editor based in London. Her short fiction has appeared in Somesuch Stories, The Willowherb Review, Electric Literature, Catapult, and Extra Teeth, among others. She was the winner of the 2022 Harper’s Bazaar Short Story Prize and the 2022 V.S. Pritchett Short Story Prize.
