Shute lived a comfortable middle-class English life. His heroes tended to be middle class: solicitors, doctors, accountants, bank managers, engineers. Usually, like himself, they had enjoyed the privilege of university, not then within the purview of the lower classes. However (as in Trustee from the Toolroom), Shute valued the honest artisan and his social integrity and contributions to society more than the contributions of the upper classes. You know, I love this book with all my heart, it is the story of an ordinary unassuming man going on an unusual trip and winning out because of his ordinary life in which he designs miniature engineering models and people make them. Men, that is, hmm. Anyway, it's an adorable and unusual book. Read it, you'll like it, it has SF sensibility without being SF. So what is this about? On the surface it is about a Mr. Ordinary, an unpretentious little guy, but he is honest and hardworking. He is kind. He is happy with little. He doesn't need a big fancy house or a flashy job or fancy clothes. It is an adventure story too. Travel on airplanes and boats - a trip that you would not imagine! And it has one of the most likeable protagonists I’ve ever encountered: “… an honest little man of lower-middle-class suburban type, content to go along upon a miserable salary for the sake of doing the work he loved…”. Keith Stewart is not handsome, or witty or heroic in the usual sense of the word. But he’s a wonderfully likeable man, the sort of character who does that little bit to help restore your faith in mankind. This book is much like him: gentle, likeable, warm and friendly.

Several of Shute's novels explore the boundary between accepted science and rational belief on the one hand, and mystical or paranormal possibilities, including reincarnation, on the other hand. Shute does this by including elements that can be considered fantasy or science fiction in novels are classified as mainstream. These are based in elements that would be considered religious, mystical, or psychic phenomena in the British vernacular when they were written. These include: Buddhist astrology and folk prophecy in "The Chequer Board"; the effective use of a ouija board in "No Highway"; a messiah figure in "Round the Bend"; and past and future lives with a psychic connection, near-future science fiction, and Aboriginal psychic powers in "In the Wet."--Wikipedia. is due to postwar currency restrictions caused not by any individual but rather by difficult times. Then, in the way of any good story, upheaval arrives when his sister and her fairly wealthy husband perish at sea, leaving Keith and his long suffering but supremely practical wife as guardians for their nine-year-old niece. Keith is also named trustee for the little girl's inheritance which turns out to include a valuable stash of diamonds lost on a corral island near Hawaii. The consultancy fee enables Keith's wife to stop working and take care of their niece. Keith claims to have discovered the diamonds in luggage left behind by his in-laws, and the proceeds from their sale enable them to take care of their niece's education and other needs. The other characters proceed on their lives happily, we are told at the end of what is probably Shute's most villain-free novel.Like most authors, Shute was at his best writing about what he knew, and what he knew more about than anything else were engineering (his career) and sailing (his passion). Both feature hugely in this highly unusual story about a humble, self-effacing but great-hearted little man who overcomes all obstacles to pursue his self-imposed duty across half the world. In the end, virtue gets its reward and we can all close the book with a warm inner glow. This is such an odd little story, a narrative of vast technical scope and a plot driven by a simple yet somewhat outlandish concept. Oh my, I did like this. It is light, but cute and fun and will make you smile. I certainly do recommend it.

This book is a member of the special collection Special Collection: The Works of Nevil Shute (1899-1960)

Keith sister, Jo and her husband, an ex-Navy officer have decided to travel by sailing boat to Vancouver. They ask Keith and Katie to look after their young daughter, Janice until they get settled. They die on the way. So that's the basic story, except that as well, they have designated Keith and Katie as trustees to their daughter. They had Keith install a jewelry box in concrete in the hull of their ship; Janice's inheritance. Keith decides that if they are to ensure Janice the life she deserves, he needs to get the jewels. In addition to being a gifted writer of adventure, historical fiction, post-apocalyptic and many other novels, Shute was an engineer, a pilot, the owner of an aircraft company, a designer of secret weapons for the British during World War II, a sailor and a pilot. All these vocations, hobbies and interests find a way into his books. Even though I am not a sailor or pilot or have any engineering knowledge, I find all these elements in his books fascinating. They never drag on too long or become boring. The plot of the novel hinges on the actions of a modest technical journalist, Keith Stewart, whose life has been focused on the design and engineering of scale-model machinery. Stewart writes serial articles about how to create scale models in a magazine called the Miniature Mechanic, which are extremely well regarded in the modelling community — as is he. Oh My, I must admit that sometimes I just want to hear a good story read by a great narrator. I've been listening to audio books on my daily walks for over 40 years and one of my all time favorite narrators is Frank Muller. His is a voice that can lend enchantment to almost any story. Unfortunately he is no longer alive and finding his books gets harder and harder but every once in awhile I long to hear him again. So I stumbled on this. I'm sure I probably read this long ago as it was published in 1960. I love Nevil Shute and at one time read many of his novels but it was great fun to hear this story read by Muller. Trustee From the Toolroom was Nevil Shute's last book. It tells the tale of a mild mannered, unremarkable man who made a remarkable journey to fulfill his responsibility as trustee for his niece.

Shute describes Keith Stewart and his wife as living in the very house in South Ealing, London, where Shute himself was born and brought up. There is a faithful description of the property and of the modest way of life that went on there. Keith Stewart is the main character - a sensible average British citizen who has never gone far in life in either distance or career. However, though he has little money and little experience outside his town and job he's quite happy. When his wealthy sister and brother-in-law ask him to take care of their daughter for a few months while they settle into a new home in Canada - he readily agrees. When they're both killed in a horrible accident, Keith finds himself the new Trustee of their fortune until his niece is old enough to claim it. When he finds out the fortune has mysteriously gone missing, cash strapped Keith must travel halfway across the world to try and recover his niece's fortune for her - no matter the danger.On the plus side, positive portrayal of non-white characters and Jews. He was really making an effort on that front.