The Day the World Came to Town Updated Edition: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-08-16 10:19:10
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Jim DeFede
- ISBN：0063005980
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Summary
The True Story Behind the Events on 9/11 that Inspired Broadway’s Smash Hit Musical Come from Away， Featuring All New Material from the Author
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。
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。
Reviews
Chelsea
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Really interesting story。 Enjoyed learning about everyone's experiences。 Really interesting story。 Enjoyed learning about everyone's experiences。 。。。more
Laura Beasley
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What a wonderful and uplifting book。 The story deals with the planes that landed on 9-11 in Newfoundland。 The towns around took the passengers in and took care of them while they were there。 The people in Newfoundland went out of there way to provide for the passengers and many became life long friends。 Reading about some of the families on the plane and learning about their lives was so rewarding。 Learning about all the ways the people helped and no notice at all is remarkable。 The attack on 9- What a wonderful and uplifting book。 The story deals with the planes that landed on 9-11 in Newfoundland。 The towns around took the passengers in and took care of them while they were there。 The people in Newfoundland went out of there way to provide for the passengers and many became life long friends。 Reading about some of the families on the plane and learning about their lives was so rewarding。 Learning about all the ways the people helped and no notice at all is remarkable。 The attack on 9-11 was beyond horrible but it was also a time that brought out the best in people as they worked to help and support each other and we were all proud to be an American。 The hardest part to me after reading the book is to see the way our country is acting now。 It would be wonderful to be back to caring for each other and being proud of our country。 A great book that everyone should read。 。。。more
Monica E Ryan
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MovingI have wanted to read this book for some time。。 I was moved by the general story。 It was nice to see the Afterword and find out what happened to the people in the story 20 years later。We all know that day。The images we saw will not be erased。 Still can't go to the site。 MovingI have wanted to read this book for some time。。 I was moved by the general story。 It was nice to see the Afterword and find out what happened to the people in the story 20 years later。We all know that day。The images we saw will not be erased。 Still can't go to the site。 。。。more
Steph
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As it’s easy to lose faith in humanity today， this book was a salve for my soul。 It’s a beautiful reminder that， even in the face of unfathomable tragedy， there are people who are innately good， who care for their fellow man。 The Newfie community’s collective and selfless acts of humanitarian aid to the passengers and crew of the diverted flights on 9/11， and the stories of the individuals who were impacted are so moving， uplifting， and inspiring。 （The 20th anniversary reprint has an afterword t As it’s easy to lose faith in humanity today， this book was a salve for my soul。 It’s a beautiful reminder that， even in the face of unfathomable tragedy， there are people who are innately good， who care for their fellow man。 The Newfie community’s collective and selfless acts of humanitarian aid to the passengers and crew of the diverted flights on 9/11， and the stories of the individuals who were impacted are so moving， uplifting， and inspiring。 （The 20th anniversary reprint has an afterword that follows up on many of the people profiled in the book and it’s nice to learn how they’re faring。） Maybe there is hope for mankind， after all… 。。。more
Kimberly
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A member of my book club selected this as our August read。 What a wonderful and timely choice to read just before the 20th anniversary of 9/11。 This book is heartwarming and heartbreaking and a testament to the greatness of community and the power of what good people can do in times of crisis。 Highly recommend this book。
Anita O'brien
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What an amazing true story。 I loved reading about true events theft restore my faith in humanity。 Very moving account of the way Canadians took in stranded plane passengers after they could not land I the US after 9/11。 I felt every emotion
Catherine
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This books captures important 9/11 stories。 I highly recommend it。 Something else。。。small， rural towns are often stereotyped negatively。 Being from a small town that always bothers me。 In this book you see how small towns are generally caring， curious about other cultures， and extremely organized and efficient。
Katra
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With all the hostility in the world， it's refreshing to read about the many good people out there。 With all the hostility in the world， it's refreshing to read about the many good people out there。 。。。more
Becky Maners
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Unable to finishI loved Come from Away and was hoping for more stories and details， but told in a style that was less newsy and reporter-like。 The musical is powerful in part because it’s told in 1st person。 I found this to be generally dry， and the details offered some， but not that much， additional story to what I learned of Gander’s experience from the musical。 It was tedious and so I abandoned after about 25%
James Holt
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Heartwarming The writing style is good， not great， but the story has helped restore my faith in humanity。 I highly recommend it。
Priya
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4。5 *At a time when we desperately need to hold onto the belief that there is hope for a better future and good people still exist， the story this book tells is a real beacon， more so because it is entirely true！ 9/11 caused destruction， mayhem and tragedy for those in the towers and their families。 It also caused US air space to be unprecedentedly closed， leaving thousands of planes and their passengers quite literally stranded in the air。 Forced to go back to where they started from or land at 4。5 *At a time when we desperately need to hold onto the belief that there is hope for a better future and good people still exist， the story this book tells is a real beacon， more so because it is entirely true！ 9/11 caused destruction， mayhem and tragedy for those in the towers and their families。 It also caused US air space to be unprecedentedly closed， leaving thousands of planes and their passengers quite literally stranded in the air。 Forced to go back to where they started from or land at the nearest airport， many planes were rerouted。 38 of these landed in the town of Gander， Newfoundland in Canada。 With a population of barely 10，000 this was a huge ask of the town。 However， they rose to the task and how！From providing nicotine patches to antsy smokers who had to spend hours on the plane for security reasons to making arrangements for the accommodation and feeding of over 6000 passengers， every member of the town practically came forward to help。 They anticipated what would be needed and facilitated it。 Diapers for the babies， phones to communicate with their loved ones back home， medicines， clothes， mattresses， towels， all of this and more was brought from individual homes to the community hall， church， schools and wherever else there was space to house their unexpected guests。The best part of it all was that they were so gracious and compassionate about it all。 It was not something they did grudgingly。 Bus drivers on strike turned up to transport the passengers， people invited strangers to shower and have some privacy in their homes， they even comforted and prayed for those with missing family members in NY。 When the waiting and the tension got to be too overwhelming for some， the local residents took it upon themselves to take their minds off their troubles by entertaining them， talking to them and even partying with them。 So many heartwarming stories emerge of that time that you can't help but be touched by them。There were， among the passengers， a varied cast of characters， from the CEO of Hugo Boss to a family of Moldovan immigrants to a rabbi whose religion demanded certain concessions that were taken care of as a matter of course。 Everyone was treated with similar kindness and courtesy with no expectation of reward。 In fact， when those passengers who could， wanted to do something for the town， they were reluctant and after much persuasion they accepted money to set up college scholarships and buy new computers。Reaching out to fellow human beings in pain is one thing， embracing them so unreservedly is another。 The way the people of Gander and neighbouring towns stepped up to do what they could to ease a horrible situation really elevates them。 Their kindness， trusting nature and selflessness really warms the heart。 If there is a utopia on earth， this is it！ 。。。more
Colleen Edmonson
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Excellent recounting of when 9/11 passengers were grounded in Newfoundland for several days。
Catie
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Highly recommend。 It’s a tangible reminder that there are good， decent， caring people who step up for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do。 In case the last several years made you forget。 I read the version with 2020 updates。
Pat Postek
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This book renewed my faith in humanity。
Mary Stevenson
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Loved this book。 Loved the way people came together during such a difficult time to support each other。 Need to believe in the goodness of humanity again？ Read this。
Sabra Kurth
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Learned a lot about Gander Newfoundland and the generosity and compassion they gave to the passengers on flights diverted after the terrorist attacks in NYC on 9/11。 People who rose to the occasion。
Dana
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Heartbreakingly hopeful To discover this story and read this as the 20th anniversary approaches was powerful and hopeful。 But truth reading it in 2021， 18 months into a pandemic and 6 years after national politics started what now feels a near complete catastrophic chasm than ever in my lifetime， the hopefulness of this book feels more of a nostalgic hopefulness， a heartbreaking hopefulness cause it feels so so distant to what the world feels like today。 I felt a magic kindness in the air in DC Heartbreakingly hopeful To discover this story and read this as the 20th anniversary approaches was powerful and hopeful。 But truth reading it in 2021， 18 months into a pandemic and 6 years after national politics started what now feels a near complete catastrophic chasm than ever in my lifetime， the hopefulness of this book feels more of a nostalgic hopefulness， a heartbreaking hopefulness cause it feels so so distant to what the world feels like today。 I felt a magic kindness in the air in DC on 9/12/2001， and what these stranded travelers experienced was many more than 10-fold that。 May we find our pandemic 9/12， our Gander-like help to lift and reunite somehow， and soon。 。。。more
Christy
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I will admit I didn’t finish it。 When the author got a basic fact wrong， the destination of the Arrow Air Flight that crashed on 12/12/85， I lost confidence in his ability to write a non-fiction book。 That flight was bound for Ft Campbell， KY not North Carolina。 The memorial is in my hometown of Hopkinsville， KY。
BRT
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Even after all these years， I wasn't sure if reading about the events of 9/11 would still be too traumatic。 It was but the story of the unstinting love， generosity， and support from the residents of this small island went a long way towards alleviating that trauma。 There were so many things we didn't think about because we were laser focused on the horrors unfolding but this group of Canadians stepped up and handled things before some even realized a need。 These great hearted citizens embody the Even after all these years， I wasn't sure if reading about the events of 9/11 would still be too traumatic。 It was but the story of the unstinting love， generosity， and support from the residents of this small island went a long way towards alleviating that trauma。 There were so many things we didn't think about because we were laser focused on the horrors unfolding but this group of Canadians stepped up and handled things before some even realized a need。 These great hearted citizens embody the belief that we are all one people， no matter country， race， gender， or religion。 It is a heartwarming， uplifting reminder that there are good people in the world。 。。。more
Megan
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3。5 stars
Bette
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Loved it。 Brought back so many memories of 9/11。 Because I lived so close， in NJ， I did not know that much about how far reaching the effects were。 I had loved ones overseas and actually in the air when this happened， and my sister was working at O’Hare airport that day。 But there are so many stories of all of the people that helped that day and in the days that followed。 It was a lovely， heart warming read。
Caryn
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Can’t get through this book with out crying。 Concise and objective writing， yet each story packs an emotional wallop。Goodness wins。
Kathy
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Loved this！ If you haven’t seen the Broadway Hit， Come From Away， read （or listen to） this book first so you don’t completely lose it in the theater。
Holly Werning
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Interesting。 Kind of chaotic but a good read。
Chloé McCloskey
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I was 6 years old at the time of this horrific and life-altering event。 Having had the opportunity to read this book， I was able to see a whole other side and gain more insight/ knowledge。 The world truly did come to town for a little community in Newfoundland。 This book helps you to see the importance of the little things in life。 An eye-opener。 A phenomenal story。 Everyone should read this book！
Emmi
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I needed this book right now。 I really， really did。 I needed a reminder that people can be selfless and decent to one another。 I loved it。
Kristjan
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A very interesting account of the little-known events in Gander， Newfoundland on 9/11 and the following days。 The stories and incidents of several different people are recounted， making the story personal。 It is a little difficult to keep all these people straight from one appearance to the next。 I would have liked to get an updated version that gives a little bit more of a long-term view of these events and their aftermath。 So， a more recent "updated" version would have been great。 The book men A very interesting account of the little-known events in Gander， Newfoundland on 9/11 and the following days。 The stories and incidents of several different people are recounted， making the story personal。 It is a little difficult to keep all these people straight from one appearance to the next。 I would have liked to get an updated version that gives a little bit more of a long-term view of these events and their aftermath。 So， a more recent "updated" version would have been great。 The book mentions planes being diverted to other airports， even in Newfoundland。 Some mention of those would have been warranted。 Was the situation much less challenging in other locations， e。g。， St。 John's， Newfoundland？ Or was it comparable？ Was there a difference in how the locals reacted？ There was also a little mention of religion， but no mention of whether that informed the hospitality and sacrificial giving of individuals and organizations。 。。。more
Shannon
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It's a shame that stories like this aren't seen when they happen。 The world is continually filled with the negative side of humanity， but positive stories like this happen everyday， everywhere。 These stories not only give me hope that good people exist， but that I can be one of them。 It's a shame that stories like this aren't seen when they happen。 The world is continually filled with the negative side of humanity， but positive stories like this happen everyday， everywhere。 These stories not only give me hope that good people exist， but that I can be one of them。 。。。more
Dena Beck
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Maybe if I had read a physical copy and not listened to the audio my feelings would be different。But， even 20 years after 9/11 listening to this was just too painful。 Hearing every pilot， every passenger， etc。 learn of the events "as they unfolded" over and over again as I drove up the interstate was too difficult for me。 There was a lot of beauty in this book。 People were amazing in Newfoundland。 But， I couldn't get past reliving the events over and over and my knowledge that the people in the Maybe if I had read a physical copy and not listened to the audio my feelings would be different。But， even 20 years after 9/11 listening to this was just too painful。 Hearing every pilot， every passenger， etc。 learn of the events "as they unfolded" over and over again as I drove up the interstate was too difficult for me。 There was a lot of beauty in this book。 People were amazing in Newfoundland。 But， I couldn't get past reliving the events over and over and my knowledge that the people in the book didn't have yet。 The knowledge of what did wait for them back home。 I listened to about 90% of it on a road trip and I had tears down my face for most of the drive。 I've not felt the need to complete the last 10%。 Sure， there are going to be some more beautiful moments， but just also more awful realizations。 I didn't expect to be hit so hard。My rating is based on my reaction to the book。 It was not poorly written， and the rest of my book club really was able to focus on the good。 But， I wish I had spent my time listening to a gritty psychological murder mystery。 It would have been less traumatic。 。。。more
Mary
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