What an AMAZING novel! I don't usually go for "buzzy" books, but so many friends recommended this one to me, I had to give it a go. I am so glad I listened to them! 

I love historical fiction, but do not usually go for science fiction or romance (though recent selections have proven me wrong for ignoring this genre!) so I was unsure if I would like it. But Ministry of Time is the perfect blend of speculative fiction, sci-fi, history, thriller, and romance. 

The story revolves around a minion in the eponymous ministry, an employee tasked with being the guardian/bodyguard/caretaker/guide of an individual who has crossed into our timeline. The experiment goes awry, as these things seem likely to do, and a thrilling spy-espionage thriller-esque chase ensues. 

Bradley makes the characters really come to life; it's clear an incredible amount of research and observation has gone into this work. But it's not only that; Bradley's prose is deeply reflective, creating fleshy characters that we can commiserate with and recognize. Readers will find themselves falling in love with them, laughing with them, feeling their loneliness and suffering, hoping for a happy ending for them. 

I don't usually enjoy buzzy books, and I have found Zhang's other novels somewhat overly literary in style, but this one delivered both a riveting story and authentically heart-wrenching prose. It well deserves 5 stars.

The story revolves around two young children, orphaned and left to fend for themselves in the American "wild west" of the 19th century. What differentiates them from the usual "western" trope is that they are Chinese -- but also American. As the children of Chinese immigrants, they sit side saddle between two cultures, belonging not to either one.

Their story takes place over a hundred years ago but resonates with the present.