THE MINISTRY OF TIME

“Everything that has ever been could have been prevented, and none of it was. The only thing you can mend is the future. Time-travel taught me that.”
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I can’t stop marveling over this romantic, smart, funny, sad, thought-provoking, wonderful novel! In near future England, an unnamed civil servant receives a curious assignment: she is to act as an assimilation “bridge” to Commander Graham Gore, a naval officer plucked from the year 1847 through a time travel portal as part of a top secret government project. While Graham and the other “expats” learn about modern wonders like karaoke, Nutella and the fate of the British Empire, our narrator becomes increasingly suspicious of the project and who she can trust. Part sci fi spy thriller, part emotional romance: I absolutely loved this book!
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Friends, I never read sci fi!! It makes me think of aliens, quantum universes, and the dread I felt toward every science class in my life. I’m SO glad I picked this up anyway because it is going to be one of my favorite books of the year!! Honestly I kind of skimmed the time-travely specifics and zeroed in on one of the most passionate love stories I’ve read. This book explores how much agency we have over our futures, and the far reaching consequences of our choices. It cautions against blind faith and the perils of disaffection, offering instead redemption and hope. I didn’t want it to end!
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“These stars were a temporary, beautiful gift of our era—the era that we all shared, a human era.” My cupcakes were inspired by this pivotal quote and the book’s star motif. And don’t you love this gorgeously technicolor, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy-ish cover? I wanted the cupcakes to look just like it - my hands are still black and purple from frosting but it was worth it!