Trustee from the Toolroom

Book excerpt: Discover a classic adventure from the author of A Town Like Alice and On the Beach. Keith Stewart is an ordinary man. However, one day he is called upon to undertake an extraordinary task... When his sister's boat is wrecked in the Pacific, he becomes trustee for his little niece. In order to save her from destitution he has to embark on a 2,000 mile voyage in a small yacht in inhospitable waters. His adventures and the colourful characters he meets on his journey make this book a marvellous tale of courage and friendship. Delightfully written and filled with a reverent attention to mechanical details, Shute's posthumous tale of an unassuming man's remarkable adventure is as enjoyable today as it was on publication. 'Something about this author's calm, deliberate style creates unexpected excitement... we are warmed by the justice and sheer pleasure of it' Independent