The Ministry of Time by Keliane Bradley

Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024--San Antonio

The Ministry of Time by Keliane Bradley is one of the most entertaining stories I have read in some time.  I found myself not just laughing, but guffawing over and over as I was reading and then again while thinking about what I had just read.  It's a story of several time travelers brought to the present from the various times in the past.  It was the central traveler Graham from the mid-1800s who had a "unique" way of expressing himself which made the story so funny.  A special ministry has been established in London to deal with time travel and those who have been brought to the present from the past.  There is a research project to see what effects the travel has on the people--psychologically and physically.  Each of the travelers has been assigned a handler to help them adapt to their new situation and to observe and report on all aspects of their lives during the first year that they are here.  All the characters and their reactions are interesting.  But problems develop.  I was deeply involved in the story until the very end when the explanations for what was happening were so complex I found myself re-reading sections to try to understand them.  I gave the book 4 1/2 stars out of 5.