Trustee From the Toolroom

This is a wonderful book. A simple story about an unassuming man who has turned his avocation of fabricating small machines into a modest occupation that makes his everyday existence a pleasure for himself and his equally unassuming and good-hearted wife. He decides to embark upon a quest to reclaim his niece's lost inheritance--a treasure chest of diamonds hidden by himself and her father on the wrecked ship in which both her wealthy upper-class parents were killed. He does not want the diamonds for himself but the education and future of his niece which he will not be otherwise able to supply on his own rather meager income. So the hero starts out on a trip half way around the world with not enough money and no legitimate assurance that he will even make it back alive, much less win the prize. He knows it is a long shot. But, with the encouragement of his wife who will hold down the fort at home, he embarks upon this high-seas, dangerous journey simply because he thinks it's the right thing to do. He wouldn't feel right if he didn't try. That he might fail is not the important thing. This very rational, prudent man who has lived what many would consider a rather dull life of habit and order will now put all his trust in the enexpected and taste a life of risk and adventure. Very inspiring.

Keith Stewart lives quietly in suburban London, working free-lance for a model mechanic magazine. His sister and brother in law have him hide a jewel box aboard their sailboat just before they emigrate to Vancouver. But when the ship goes down in the South Pacific with them both, Keith must not only raise their young daughter, but must seek to retrieve the jewel box from the wreck. Keith has never before left Britain, and is very much a fish out of water. But there's not that much suspense to this story, as he finds that many people who have read of his work are delighted to help him along. All the same, it isn't an easy trip for Keith, but it is a far easier one for the reader, with a fine read and memorable characters.

I read this one when it was printed before ISBNs came into being. Before I left London & it has always been my favorite Nevil Shute story.In this age of in-your-face language & novels saturated with every evil event a human's mind can plausibly conjure up, this master storyteller's quiet & lean prose about real, ordinary people & their choices, entices you into one man's little life of miniature models, hardworking wives & honoring one's vows.From an unpeturbed basement workshop to the paradise of the broad Pacific ocean, a middle-aged man, more comfotable at his workbench than jetting across the world, takes on a mission to retrieve a treasure he himself hid in the ballast of his sister & brother-in-law's wrecked sail boat.For the sake of his niece, he leaves the safety of his suburban routine to travel far & wide to bring her inheritance back. A deeply satisfying & redemptive read, of a time long ago, when things were a lot more simple & simple honor was a lot more evident.Warms your heart, soothes your soul & tells a good story as well!

This is the story of a man who dedicated his thought and efforts to the work he loved and how his own selfish pursuit created a world-wide circle of good will and benevolence. This delightful tale shows how the bond of common values transcends vast differences among men.

This is a terrific book--one of my top favorites. It is the story of Keith Stewart--a working class hobbyist and writer for "Miniature Mechanic" magazine--who circumnavigates the world to fulfill his role as trustee for his niece's inheritance. Stewart discovers that, through his magazine articles, he has a world-wide following of readers eager to assist him with his task: to recover a box of diamonds which sank with his brother's sailboat in the South Pacific. I first read this book when I was a teenager and have re-read it a number of times since (once--cover to cover--on a flight between Boston and Los Angeles). Nevil Shute's prose are straightforward and compelling. The plot moves quickly; you will not want to put this book down. Upon finishing "Trustee from the Toolroom," you will not only admire Keith Stewart, you will want to emulate him