The Day the World Came to Town audiobook

I wanted to read an uplifting book and it might seem contrary to that to read a book which opens on 9/11, that horrific day. I had heard about this place Gander, Newfoundland and the generosity of the people there to the approximately 6,600 people who landed there from 38 planes, when American air space was closed after the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City. I knew that this would most definitely be the uplifting story I was looking for. It’s about the kindness and generosity and beautiful humanity that was present that day, and the days after, when the people there opened up their town, their homes and their hearts to so many stranded so far from home. While “more than 250 aircraft, carrying 43,895 people were diverted to fifteen Canadian airports” this is the story of just one of the places in Canada. It’s a story of the events, of the passengers and of the numerous people in Gander, who under circumstances that were staggering, managed in a very short period of time to set up shelters in churches and schools, who fed and offered clothing and diapers, lent their phones and computers, their showers and their towels, open their homes and most of all friendship to complete strangers. It’s the story of so many heroes beginning with the air traffic controllers who on a moment’s notice had to manage the air space and land these planes, to the women of the town who stayed up through the early morning hours washing towels, to the restaurant owners and store owners who provided food and necessities. It’s also the story of some of the passengers, a German mayor, a corporate executive, two sets of parents and their newly adopted children on their trip home, a worried family whose son was a firefighter in New York City, a group of Moldavian refugees, and so many others.How does a town of 10,000 people welcome and accommodate 6,600 stranded people from the world over ? With generosity that knows no bounds. I’m uplifted. I’m in awe of these beautiful souls in Gander. I know that there is a musical “Come From Away” about these events and this place and these lovely people. I hope I can see it one day. I highly recommend this book if you are looking for something to soothe your soul, to restore your faith in humanity during these difficult times.

Every year, around September, I start to refresh my memory of the stories of 9/11. Whether it is reading books (this year I read 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers), shows on TV about the events of that day, or reading articles online. While I was doing some of that this year I turned to my wife and asked if she heard about the story of the city in Canada where all the incoming planes from Europe had to land? A few years ago, one of the shows I watched about 9/11 discussed the city, but I hadn’t heard much more about it since then. She hadn’t, but thought it sounded interesting.Now, this is where it gets a bit eerie. Every year for Christmas, my in-laws give us a subscription to the Broadway series – a series of shows that are travelling around the United States straight off Broadway. Usually there is one big anchor show for the subscription (this year it is Hamilton), maybe a classic or two (this year its Cats), but there are always one or two lesser known, more obscure shows. The day after the discussion with my wife about the city in Canada, I was looking through the description of one of the shows I had never heard of: “Come from Away is a Canadian musical . . . It is set in the week following the September 11 attacks and tells the true story of what transpired when 38 planes were ordered to land unexpectedly in the small town of Gander in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon. The characters in the musical are based on (and in most cases share the names of) real Gander residents as well as some of the 7,000 stranded travelers they housed and fed.” (Wikipedia)What were the chances!? I go from asking my wife if she has ever heard about this 9/11 story I last heard about almost a decade ago to finding out we are going to see a musical on it!?And then . . . as I am finding audiobooks for my vacation a couple of weeks ago, I run across The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland. Well, you know I had to get it! Seems I am destined to revisit this story this year.It is not a long story, and the heroes in it do what you hope any good person would do, but it is amazing the impact the simple gestures of a small community can mean to hundreds of suddenly displaced and frightened airline passengers; forced to land in a country that is not their own with no idea exactly what is going on or when they might finally make it to their destinations. And, while it might seem like common sense that human nature would be towards kindness and compassion, hearing these stories and finding out how amazed the people were that they would be treated so well shows how we may not have been going in the best direction as a society and maybe Gander’s selfless approach to the situation shows us a bit of how we should all try and be.This is a fantastic and heart-warming story. If you are interested in learning more about 9/11 but the stories of the twin towers, terrorism, etc. are hard to stomach, try The Day the World Came to Town. It should only take a few hours to read, but it has some of the most important messages from that fateful day.

What a wonderful book that tells the story of the town of Gander, Newfoundland when over 30 planes were diverted to this remote area on 9/11. The book garners these stars not so much for the quality of the writing, but rather for the people and acts of humanity that town provided to over 6,000 passengers and crew that were forced to land there when US airspace was closed. We follow a few main passengers, a lot of the townfolk and a whole lot of compassion that this area of Canada was able to give (at no cost) to these unfortunate people whose lives were put on hold that day and for almost 6 days thereafter.It is a quick read and I wish there was even a more recent update as to the people involved and the friendships that were made both among the passengers, as well as among those kind kind people of Newfoundland.This is was humanity is all about, this is what makes us have faith in society. It is not governments or corporations, but rather the acts of kindness and love that were displayed at a time of great distress and how so few people could touch the lives of so very many passengers.Great story and a definite read for all who want an uplifting book!

Such an uplifting story born of such a horrific event. This is an affirmation of human kindness and generosity - much needed and appreciated.

I loved this. Also, the narrator sounded SO MUCH like Tom Hanks.

Thank you, Ray Porter, for so expertly narrating this engaging and inspiring story about the role Newfoundland played in providing shelter for thousands of passengers, crew members, and even a few animals after the 9/11 attack. I have heard bits and pieces about these flights over the years and kept putting off reading the book. Now that we are almost to the 20th anniversary, I checked out the audio book. It was amazing! Jim DeFede captures the breadth and diversity of the people involved along with the huge heart of the Newfies. There are stories that will make you laugh and make you cry. I highly recommend it!

The day's name alone is enough to bring back memories of the pain and grief and fear we felt, to reopen old wounds. Tuesday, September 11, 2001. September 11th. 9/11. For all of us who were alive that day, and are old enough to remember it, each anniversary brings back painful memories, even for those of us who were lucky enough not to lose a friend or loved one in the 9/11 attacks. The memories of 9/11 are so disheartening that it might seem impossible that someone could write a 9/11 book that could be described as inspiring; but Jim DeFede achieves that seemingly impossible task in The Day the World Came to Town.The main action of DeFede's book takes place in a locale that seems worlds away from Ground Zero, or the Pentagon, or Shanksville. As the book's subtitle indicates, DeFede's focus is on 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland. That small city (population 11,054, according to Statistics Canada 2011) has always been an isolated place, even by the standards of the vastness of the Canadian landscape; indeed, Newfoundland is so isolated that it did not officially become part of Canada until 1949. As DeFede tells it, Gander had come into its greatest prominence in the early years of the aviation era, when smaller fuel capacities meant that transatlantic flights used Gander as a jumping-off point for eastbound trips across the pond. But as planes and their fuel tanks grew larger, Gander became less important in aviation terms, and the city largely faded from the public consciousness -- until 9/11.The 9/11 attacks were perpetrated by suicide hijackers using jet planes as weapons. In response, for the first time in American history, the airspace over the United States of America was closed. U.S.-bound flights from Europe therefore had to either turn back or land somewhere else in North America. The overwhelming majority of crews of those flights chose to continue their flights, and were rerouted to Gander. Over 40 planes, with more than 6,000 people, were suddenly on their way to a place that many of those people had probably never heard of.What happened then was a not-so-small miracle -- something that remains a truly inspiring example of the goodness and kindness of ordinary people. Air traffic controllers and customs officials handled with grace and aplomb the Herculean task of accommodating all those airplanes and their passengers. Ordinary citizens of Gander opened their doors and invited passengers from the planes into their homes -- made sure the displaced travelers had a place to take a shower, a hot meal, a place to sleep. Birthday parties were thrown for children whose holiday plans had been cancelled. Stores donated food, clothing, and incidentals. Prescriptions were filled by Gander pharmacists, free of charge. Terrified pets were taken from the holds of planes, where many would no doubt have died, and were given safe shelter. Every good thing that could be done for those who were tired and frightened was done. As DeFede puts it, quite simply, "There was nothing the passengers needed that the people in town weren't prepared to provide" (169).In response to the cruelty of the acts carried out by the hijackers on 9/11, the actions of the good people of Gander provide strong evidence that what is good in human nature will in the long run prevail. Newfoundlanders and other citizens of Canada may read this book with particular (and justifiable) pride; DeFede quotes Gander's town constable as saying, "A Newfoundlander likes to put his arm around a person and say, 'It's going to be all right. I'm here. It's going to be okay. We're your friend. We're your buddy. We've got you.' That's the way it's always been. That's the way it always will be. And that's the way it was on September eleventh" (p. 5). At the same time, its themes are universal.Going over this review more than 20 years after the 9/11 attacks, I recall how, after September 11th, we all found ourselves waiting for the other shoe to drop -- for a September 12th, or a September 13th. Indeed, we all know that inevitably, someday, fanatics motivated by some violent ideology or other will perpetrate, somewhere in the world, some mass attack that will claim many innocent lives. We will mourn those who died, and we will try to make sure that those responsible are brought to justice.But what I want to focus on here is the idea that something else will happen. Nice, ordinary people like the people of Gander, Newfoundland -- not rich, not famous, just good ordinary people -- will quietly, unobtrusively, gather and assemble and start offering help to the people who need it. They will not make a big deal of it; they will not ask to be thanked. They will simply act with kindness and compassion, doing good on behalf of others because it is the right thing to do.DeFede captures this theme so well that I find The Day the World Came to Town to be one of the most important books I have ever read.

The unimaginable had occurred, the tragedy of 9/11. In the immediate chaos & uncertainty, U.S airspace closed and incoming flights were told to land ASAP. Many flights were sent to Gander, Newfoundland and thus these stories begin: For the better part of a week, nearly every man, woman and child in Gander and the surrounding smaller towns-places with names like Gambo, Appleton, Lewisport and Norris Arms -stopped what they were doing so they could help. They placed their lives on hold for a group of strangers and asked for nothing in return. They affirmed the basic goodness of man at a time when it was easy to doubt such humanity still existed. If the terrorists had hoped their attacks would reveal the weaknesses in western society, the events in Gander proved its strength. The quote says it all. Easy to read heartwarming stories of unbelievable generosity, caring and resilience. I hope we all carry the "Newfie" spirit within us!My only question was as a pet owner, it is hard to believe that the passengers weren't concerned about their pets stranded in the cargo compartments when it was obvious thhis wasn't going to be a short delay. I choose to believe the author just focused more on the human stories