Trustee from the Toolroom
Encyclopedia
Trustee from the Toolroom is a novel
written by Nevil Shute
. Shute died in January 1960; Trustee was published posthumously later that year.
, their daughter, Keith's niece, is to remain with Keith and his wife. His in-laws are lost at sea in French Polynesia
. After the deaths are confirmed, Keith is told, by his in-laws' solicitor, that there is almost no money in the estate, but there is evidence that Keith's brother-in-law has converted his wealth into diamonds to take with him abroad, to evade export and currency restrictions intended to prevent capital leaving Britain. Keith's guardianship of his niece is now permanent, and he becomes her trustee (hence the title), but where is her money?
Keith quickly realizes that the metal box he secreted contained the diamonds, and he starts to investigate how he may travel to retrieve it from the wreck. It is a difficult problem. Keith, while not poor, has chosen to do work he loves in place of better-paying work, and cannot afford to travel to Polynesia. He is able to call on connections in the model engineering world to deadhead
his way on a flight as far as Hawaii
. Finding no conventional way to get further which is within his means, he takes passage on the hand-built sailing ship of a half-Polynesian from Oregon, Jack Donelly. Somewhat to the consternation of Keith's friends, he and Jack sail off, (Keith having received a quick lesson in navigation) with little regard for paperwork.
One of the crew that took Keith to Hawaii, upon his return, worriedly approaches Keith's editor. The editor, somewhat shocked at the risks that Keith is taking, starts trolling the close-knit world of miniature mechanics for someone who could help Keith. Eventually, Mr. Solomon Hirzhorn, who controls much of the lumber of the Pacific Northwest
from his home and business near Tacoma, Washington
, is informed. As it happens, Hirzhorn, an inexperienced modeller, has often sent somewhat foolish, but lengthy, letters asking for clarifications of Keith's modelling articles, which Keith always patiently answered. Hirzhorn is currently building one of Keith's designs, a Congreve clock
, and jumps at the chance to help Keith. Hirzhorn arranges for the yacht of a business associate, Chuck Ferris (coincidentally, the yacht whose captain was consulted by Keith and Jack in Honolulu for advice on the proper course to Tahiti) to proceed to Tahiti to help Keith out. As it happens, Keith is in great need of that help, for he and Jack have arrived in Tahiti without any ship's papers, and the two are in danger of jail. The captain smooths over the situation, and leaves with Keith on board the yacht for the island where the wreck is located.
Keith reaches the island, meditates on the fate that has brought him so far, takes many pictures, erects a headstone—and leaves with the wreck's engine, which he proposes to ship back to Britain and sell. It is no secret to the reader, but it is to the world around Keith, what is concealed in the oil in the engine's sump.
After an amusing incident where Ferris's much-married daughter, Dawn, runs off with Jack Donelly, the yacht proceeds to Washington State, where Hirzhorn is anxious to meet the engineer he so admires. Keith arranges to have the engine shipped home, then spends several days visiting Hirzhorn and helping him with the clock, and is able to help him out by catching an engineering error in the contract between Hirzhorn's company and Ferris's that might have cost a couple of million dollars. Hirzhorn arranges for a large consultancy fee to be paid to Stewart by Ferris's company and has his own company pay Stewart's airfare home.
Keith arrives home. The consultancy fee enables his wife to stop working and take care of their niece. The diamonds are "discovered" by Keith soon after the engine arrives, and 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.
s and model engineers
, for its reverent treatment of machinery, tools, and craftsmanship. The fictional magazine Miniature Mechanic is based on the actual British magazine, Model Engineer, and Shute himself admitted that the novel's protagonist is inspired by an author of that magazine, Edgar T. Westbury
. The novel's plot is not especially complex, nor is the novel's mystery terribly well hidden: the tension and drama of the story is generated by suspecting the outcome but not knowing how it is achieved.
The novel represents a more liberal view of sexual conduct than we see in Shute's earlier books. The affair between Donelly and Dawn Ferris is accepted with amusement or resignation by most of the characters. In earlier books, such as A Town Like Alice
, premarital sex was deprecated.
Several of the novel's characters come from groups subject to prejudice. The Hirzhorn family is Jewish, as is the diamond merchant Elias Franck. Jack Donelly is a "colored" American who is also illiterate and mentally "deficient," although a talented boat-builder and sailor. The hero, Keith Stewart, is a "working class" mechanic, although an extremely talented one. All four characters are portrayed in a positive light.
Readers' list of the top 100 novels. The top ten in that poll, though, included four works by Ayn Rand
and three by L. Ron Hubbard
--according to David Ebershoff, Modern Library's publishing director, "the voting population [was] skewed."
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
written by Nevil Shute
Nevil Shute
Nevil Shute Norway was a popular British-Australian novelist and a successful aeronautical engineer. He used his full name in his engineering career, and 'Nevil Shute' as his pen name, in order to protect his engineering career from any potential negative publicity in connection with his novels.-...
. Shute died in January 1960; Trustee was published posthumously later that year.
Plot summary
The plot of the novel hinges on the actions of a 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. Stewart is called upon to hide a metal box in his sister's and brother in law's sailboat just before they plan to leave in it to emigrate to Canada. Until they are settled in British ColumbiaBritish Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, their daughter, Keith's niece, is to remain with Keith and his wife. His in-laws are lost at sea in French Polynesia
French Polynesia
French Polynesia is an overseas country of the French Republic . It is made up of several groups of Polynesian islands, the most famous island being Tahiti in the Society Islands group, which is also the most populous island and the seat of the capital of the territory...
. After the deaths are confirmed, Keith is told, by his in-laws' solicitor, that there is almost no money in the estate, but there is evidence that Keith's brother-in-law has converted his wealth into diamonds to take with him abroad, to evade export and currency restrictions intended to prevent capital leaving Britain. Keith's guardianship of his niece is now permanent, and he becomes her trustee (hence the title), but where is her money?
Keith quickly realizes that the metal box he secreted contained the diamonds, and he starts to investigate how he may travel to retrieve it from the wreck. It is a difficult problem. Keith, while not poor, has chosen to do work he loves in place of better-paying work, and cannot afford to travel to Polynesia. He is able to call on connections in the model engineering world to deadhead
Deadheading (aviation)
In aviation, deadheading is a term used when members of an airline's flight staff are carried free of charge but not working. This most often happens when airline crew are located in the wrong place and need to travel to take up their duties...
his way on a flight as far as Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. Finding no conventional way to get further which is within his means, he takes passage on the hand-built sailing ship of a half-Polynesian from Oregon, Jack Donelly. Somewhat to the consternation of Keith's friends, he and Jack sail off, (Keith having received a quick lesson in navigation) with little regard for paperwork.
One of the crew that took Keith to Hawaii, upon his return, worriedly approaches Keith's editor. The editor, somewhat shocked at the risks that Keith is taking, starts trolling the close-knit world of miniature mechanics for someone who could help Keith. Eventually, Mr. Solomon Hirzhorn, who controls much of the lumber of the Pacific Northwest
Pacific Northwest
The Pacific Northwest is a region in northwestern North America, bounded by the Pacific Ocean to the west and, loosely, by the Rocky Mountains on the east. Definitions of the region vary and there is no commonly agreed upon boundary, even among Pacific Northwesterners. A common concept of the...
from his home and business near Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Tacoma is a mid-sized urban port city and the county seat of Pierce County, Washington, United States. The city is on Washington's Puget Sound, southwest of Seattle, northeast of the state capital, Olympia, and northwest of Mount Rainier National Park. The population was 198,397, according to...
, is informed. As it happens, Hirzhorn, an inexperienced modeller, has often sent somewhat foolish, but lengthy, letters asking for clarifications of Keith's modelling articles, which Keith always patiently answered. Hirzhorn is currently building one of Keith's designs, a Congreve clock
Congreve clock
A Congreve clock is a type of clock that uses a ball rolling along a zig-zag track rather than a pendulum to regulate the time. It was invented by Sir William Congreve in 1808...
, and jumps at the chance to help Keith. Hirzhorn arranges for the yacht of a business associate, Chuck Ferris (coincidentally, the yacht whose captain was consulted by Keith and Jack in Honolulu for advice on the proper course to Tahiti) to proceed to Tahiti to help Keith out. As it happens, Keith is in great need of that help, for he and Jack have arrived in Tahiti without any ship's papers, and the two are in danger of jail. The captain smooths over the situation, and leaves with Keith on board the yacht for the island where the wreck is located.
Keith reaches the island, meditates on the fate that has brought him so far, takes many pictures, erects a headstone—and leaves with the wreck's engine, which he proposes to ship back to Britain and sell. It is no secret to the reader, but it is to the world around Keith, what is concealed in the oil in the engine's sump.
After an amusing incident where Ferris's much-married daughter, Dawn, runs off with Jack Donelly, the yacht proceeds to Washington State, where Hirzhorn is anxious to meet the engineer he so admires. Keith arranges to have the engine shipped home, then spends several days visiting Hirzhorn and helping him with the clock, and is able to help him out by catching an engineering error in the contract between Hirzhorn's company and Ferris's that might have cost a couple of million dollars. Hirzhorn arranges for a large consultancy fee to be paid to Stewart by Ferris's company and has his own company pay Stewart's airfare home.
Keith arrives home. The consultancy fee enables his wife to stop working and take care of their niece. The diamonds are "discovered" by Keith soon after the engine arrives, and 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.
Major themes
The book is well-loved by tool lovers, especially engineerEngineer
An engineer is a professional practitioner of engineering, concerned with applying scientific knowledge, mathematics and ingenuity to develop solutions for technical problems. Engineers design materials, structures, machines and systems while considering the limitations imposed by practicality,...
s and model engineers
Model engineering
Model engineering is the hobby of constructing machines in miniature. The term was in use by 1888. There is some debate about the appropriateness of the term...
, for its reverent treatment of machinery, tools, and craftsmanship. The fictional magazine Miniature Mechanic is based on the actual British magazine, Model Engineer, and Shute himself admitted that the novel's protagonist is inspired by an author of that magazine, Edgar T. Westbury
Edgar T. Westbury
Edgar T. Westbury was perhaps best known as a major contributor to the English recreational magazine Model Engineer. He contributed under his own name, and also under the pseudonyms 'Artificer' and 'Kinemette'. Beginning in 1925 until his death in 1970, he made over 1474 authored contributions to...
. The novel's plot is not especially complex, nor is the novel's mystery terribly well hidden: the tension and drama of the story is generated by suspecting the outcome but not knowing how it is achieved.
The novel represents a more liberal view of sexual conduct than we see in Shute's earlier books. The affair between Donelly and Dawn Ferris is accepted with amusement or resignation by most of the characters. In earlier books, such as A Town Like Alice
A Town Like Alice
A Town Like Alice is a novel by the British author Nevil Shute about a young Englishwoman in Malaya during World War II and in outback Australia post-war....
, premarital sex was deprecated.
Several of the novel's characters come from groups subject to prejudice. The Hirzhorn family is Jewish, as is the diamond merchant Elias Franck. Jack Donelly is a "colored" American who is also illiterate and mentally "deficient," although a talented boat-builder and sailor. The hero, Keith Stewart, is a "working class" mechanic, although an extremely talented one. All four characters are portrayed in a positive light.
Footnotes
Trustee from the Toolroom was voted #27 on the Modern LibraryModern Library
The Modern Library is a publishing company. Founded in 1917 by Albert Boni and Horace Liveright as an imprint of their publishing company Boni & Liveright, it was purchased in 1925 by Bennett Cerf and Donald Klopfer...
Readers' list of the top 100 novels. The top ten in that poll, though, included four works by Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand
Ayn Rand was a Russian-American novelist, philosopher, playwright, and screenwriter. She is known for her two best-selling novels The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged and for developing a philosophical system she called Objectivism....
and three by L. Ron Hubbard
L. Ron Hubbard
Lafayette Ronald Hubbard , better known as L. Ron Hubbard , was an American pulp fiction author and religious leader who founded the Church of Scientology...
--according to David Ebershoff, Modern Library's publishing director, "the voting population [was] skewed."