The Ministry of Time

Author: Kaliane Bradley

Who Picked the Book: Dara

One-sentence summary: A young woman's job of caring for a time-travel "expat" gets complicated when she has to juggle her relationship with him and the confines of her job. 

B.A.D. Girls Book Rating: 6

Our favorite thing about it: The historical fiction and time travel aspects.

Our least favorite thing about it: The story could have been so much better and it faltered in places - most notably rushing the relationship and the ending. 

Main Topics of Discussion: Time Travel, Relationships, Extra Characters, Story Development, Narrative Pacing, Culture

Our favorite quote: “Everything that has ever been could have been prevented, and none of it was. The only thing you can mend is the future.”

Notes: We all enjoyed reading this book, despite our lower-than-normal rating. It was engaging and not hard to pick up. We liked the unique concept and the historical fiction woven in. The ideas of culture shock between times is always fun and interesting to read about. We liked the flash backs to Gore's doomed expedition - both because it fleshed out his character, which was badly needed. But also because we liked the history and it was interesting. 

We thought the fact that the main character was not named was an interesting choice. She was only ever referred to as "the bridge." We discussed it, but we couldn't really figure out why the author made that choice. If anything, it made an already under-developed character even more remote to us as readers.

Our critiques are mostly about the story and the characters. The most endearing and interesting characters were the minor ones - Margaret and Arthur. The main character and Graham seemed distant, like we never really got to know them. And then that made the romance seem surface-level. We didn't connect with it and it seemed rushed. 

Likewise, the final events seemed rushed. We felt that some of the slower parts of the story could have been condensed or cut and more room made for unpacking the events and revelations that happened at the end of the book. We did like how it ended, though. 

Memorable Meeting Moments: We were down to four this time with Stephanie in California and Lindsay in Oklahoma  - and neither able to travel in for this meeting. It also poured rain during the meeting.

What We Ate: Chips and Guacamole, Gin, Lemonade and Cranberry cocktail, Brisket Chili with fixings, Salad, Cornbread, and Chocolate-Dipped Chocolate Ginger cookies (with sea salt and with sugar sprinklings)