Keith Stewart is a quiet and unassuming man called upon to undertake an extraordinary task. A skilled maker of miniature working models, he lives a modest life devoted to his hobby. But when his sister and her wealthy husband die in a shipwreck on a coral reef in the Pacific—while trying to smuggle out of England their entire fortune in diamonds hidden in the keel of their yacht—Keith becomes … trustee for his orphaned niece. To save her from destitution he must travel halfway around the world and risk a long voyage in a small boat in inhospitable waters to recover her inheritance. In the course of his adventure-filled quest, a colorful and international cast of characters mobilize to help him, and this humble man discovers he has more friends and admirers than he could have dared to imagine.
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Keith Stewart is a smart yet humble man who is passionate about his work and accepts the limitations of it’s low-pay. He lives a modest life, but a promise to his sister requires him to go out into the unknown to accomplish a mission he is far from prepared to undertake. Yet despite his fears, he willingly moves forward to fulfill his duties as …
Shutes books are all great. They are about good people doing great things. Well written and good reads
I think that this has to be my most favorite book of all time – which is a huge statement, given all the wonderful books I have read over time.
To start, I love all Neville Shute’s books, but this one, the last he wrote, is so involving to me.
The early part of the book takes place close to where I grew up in England, then via various adventures, …