The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland by Jim Defede – 256 pages
Book Blurb:
Perfect for fans of the hit Broadway musical Come from Away.
When 38 jetliners bound for the United States were forced to land at Gander International Airport in Canada by the closing of U.S. airspace on September 11, the population of this small town on Newfoundland Island swelled from 10,300 to nearly 17,000. The citizens of Gander met the stranded passengers with an overwhelming display of friendship and goodwill. As the passengers stepped from the airplanes, exhausted, hungry and distraught after being held on board for nearly 24 hours while security checked all of the baggage, they were greeted with a feast prepared by the townspeople. Local bus drivers who had been on strike came off the picket lines to transport the passengers to the various shelters set up in local schools and churches. Linens and toiletries were bought and donated. A middle school provided showers, as well as access to computers, email, and televisions, allowing the passengers to stay in touch with family and follow the news.
Over the course of those four days, many of the passengers developed friendships with Gander residents that they expect to last a lifetime. As a show of thanks, scholarship funds for the children of Gander have been formed and donations have been made to provide new computers for the schools. This book recounts the inspiring story of the residents of Gander, Canada, whose acts of kindness have touched the lives of thousands of people and been an example of humanity and goodwill.
My Review: 4 stars
The Day the World Came to Town is a hopeful and powerful story about the kind and selfless people of Gander, Newfoundland. As you may or not recall, on 9/11, U.S. airspace was closed for the first time in history. Planes from all over the world that were headed to the states, had to either turn around, or find a safe place to land outside of the U.S. That’s where Gander comes in. This town welcomed 38 planes equaling just under 6, 900 crew and passengers, to a town with a population of only 10,000.
The entirety of this rather short book is filled with stories about the crew, passengers and animals that were on the planes, as well as the warm and selfless Gander residents. These pages will capture your heart and fill you with a strong sense of goodness. Don’t we all need a dose of that?
The passengers dealt with seclusion (although they made new friends) and the inability to speak to loved ones in New York. Their courage to get back on their flight was incredible. The people of Gander fed and housed every one of the 6,900 people. Hotels, churches, schools, vets, store owners and townspeople donated medicines, linens, towels, cars, their homes and extreme compassion.
This is told in an investigative manner, which makes sense, as special reporting is how the author makes a living. Sometimes that works perfectly and other times the writing feels choppy, but either way, the heart of the Gander townspeople is brought to the page. I imagine much research and loads of interviews with both passengers and townspeople went into the writing of this book. I did see many grammatical errors and after discussing this book with many groups, I learned of a few details that were incorrect. Apparently the fact checking needed to be more diligent, but again, it doesn’t affect the story at all.
Quotes I liked:
If the terrorists had hoped their attacks would reveal the weaknesses in western society, the events in Gander proved its strength.”
-“Their willingness to help others is arguably the single most important trait that defines them as Newfoundlanders. Today, it is an identity they cling to, in part, because it is something that cannot be taken away from them.”
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