I was extremely disappointed. I could find none of the characters convincing and the plot device of two romances threaded throughout just didn't work. And poorly acted to boot. They always ask why we did it. They can’t figure it out. And I tell them that for us, it’s normal. I’m still not sure what all the fuss is about.” Having lived virtually my entire life in the big city of Toronto, I then had the chance to live for three years in the mid 90's in a small outport in Central Newfoundland, about a 2 hour drive west of Gander. Everything I had heard about Newfoundlanders I found to be true. They were welcoming, hospitable, friendly, funny - a truly unique and wonderful culture. That Gander was able to rise to the challenge of feeding and housing almost 7,000 stranded airline passengers whose flights had been diverted to the city after the closure of US airspace on that terrible day of September 11, 2001 was no surprise to me. This movie attempts to tell that story by offering a fictionalized account focusing largely on the experiences of the people of a particular flight who found themselves in Gander on that day. 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.

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland

His experiences and thoughts are documented by the following quotes (which are representative of most all the passengers): because they didn’t care if their adoptive child’s skin was a different color from their own. They were just looking for a child to love. And” People in Gander are just like us. Life in Gander is not perfect. The people who live and work there get divorced and struggle with unemployment, failed friendships, alcoholism, and drug abuse…. Nevertheless, given all those human frailities, what happened in Gander is still remarkable. And perhaps the lesson isn’t that these acts of kindness occurred because Gander is a magial place, but rather that the people came together in a time of crisis regardless of their own personal shortcomings. And if that’s the case, then it offers hope that all of us have that ability within us.” ~Author No-one at the airport, or on the island of Gander could have predicted the scale of the emergency that confronted them on September 11, 2001.Where in the world is Gander, Newfoundland? Thirty-eight planes landed there on September 11, depositing 6, 595 passengers and crew members in a town whose poplation is barely 10,000. Inevitably the stories are laden with sadness but there are also flashes of humour. I particularly enjoyed the story of two women who decided that camping outdoors (temperature about 8C) was preferable to sleeping in a crowded community centre among travel stained, snoring strangers. There’s also an amusing incident in which the CEO of Hugo Boss, a man normally found dressed head to toe in his brand’s high end clothing. has to go shopping for underwear. To his credit, when his team announce they’ve chartered a private jet to get him out of Gander, he tells them he’s staying put. So many personal stories of interest are depicted here as the passengers and animals are welcomed with open arms and hearts after long 24 hour wait times on board.

The Day The World Came To Town by Jim Defede - BookerTalk The Day The World Came To Town by Jim Defede - BookerTalk

I'm glad this story was told and I appreciate the mention of the book by another poster. I do recall that the government of the United States was generally ungrateful and that's a shame. However, the people of Gander didn't do what they did to get gratitude. Their charity is appreciated and was fantastic. That came through in the movie. They probably did even more kind deeds and you couldn't make a movie long enough to include them all. The negative comments I'm reading here about the movie are just too petty to take seriously. I saw "Come From Away" in NYC last month, the musical about the 38 planes that were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland on 9/11, and I immediately googled to see if there was a book about it. There is, this one, although it's missing some of the stories the playwrights found in their series of interviews on which they based the play (in particular the story of Captain Beverley Bass who is mentioned only in passing here. Bet DeFede was mad at himself for missing that.). It is still an amazing story, and you end it hoping that if your community is ever called upon in such a crisis that you and it will respond even half as well. As the events of 9/11 unfolded and American airspace was closed, incoming flights were forced to turn around or be diverted to Canada. Strategically located, Gander, Newfoundland welcomed 38 planes and nearly 6,700 travelers to a town of just over 10,000 people. My life has always revolved around the written and spoken word. I worked as a journalist for nine years then in international corporate communicationsThe general mentions later in the book that she counted several friends among the dead at the Pentagon, including Lt Gen Timothy Maude, the highest ranking officer killed on 9/11. General Maude was my husband's commanding general at US EUCOM while we were stationed in Germany. He truly cared for the men and women under his command and his marker at Arlington reads "He took care of soldiers". I am sure he would think there was no higher praise. So, do I recommend The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede? Short answer – Yes! This is one of the most beautiful books I’ve read this year. I highly recommend this book, especially if you are in need of a dose of humanity at it’s finest! What if one definition of a hero is simply one who treats a stranger as a member of the family or one who provides towels or toiletries, or offers a shower, or sits to talk, or provides a board game, or prays with or for you, or gives you a ride to town, or takes you to the local pub or shopping? Wherever his fellow passengers went, that’s where he would go. However long it took them to get home, that’s how long he’d be gone. He was in this until the end. I loved this movie. Perhaps because I'm a proud Newfoundlander from that part of the island, perhaps because I heard first-hand what was happening as it was happening, or simply because it was a great tale; probably a mixture of all.

Book Review ~ The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede Book Review ~ The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede

Catholic church parishioners lead by Beulah Cooper and Tom Mercer opening their doors and homes to stranded Aer Lingus passengers, showing compassion to Dennis and Hannah O’Donohue, whose son Kevin was among the NY firefighters assigned to cover the Twin Towers. Every time the narrative turned to Hannah I needed to have tissues near by. Clark and Roxanne Loper of Alto, Texas had traveled to Almaty, Kazakhstan to adopt a two year old girl named Alexandria. Their travels took them away from their one year old named Samantha, also adopted from Kazakhstan, for nearly three weeks. Gander residents went out of their way to make sure that the Lopers and two other families on the way home from adopting children had everything they needed for the week, especially as these children had to adapt to new surroundings. 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).Almost 6,700 passengers and crew from Greek, Italian. French, British and German airlines arrived during the course of the day. Tired, confused, disorientated and afraid, they were all met by volunteers from Gander and surrounding communities as part of Operation Yellow Ribbon. A Community Responds It is an easy read, it only took me a couple of days to whip through it. But, you will be left thinking about these lives that were affected.

The Day the World Came to Town Updated Edition – HarperCollins

The technical and organizational aspects of housing, feed and caring for 6,000 people! It was a well organized effort. There were so many people and organizations involved, but everyone seemed to pitch in where needed! The selfless acts of kindness Jim DeFede has written a wonderful and engaging account that reaffirms the remarkable humanity and kindness that flourished in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Gerald Posner 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: With 6,600 passengers from international flights you can imagine the level of diversity amongst these people. For me, some of the most moving parts of this book were about a couple of these people and their experience in Gander. Another fabulous story was about the men's fashion designer who bought some new underwear at Walmarts. What happens after that is both funny and moving.

The beauty of this book is that it captures the good that does exist in man. The news predominantly tells us of the bad. Hearing constantly about the bad, certainly does not make us better. Hearing about good people does! They set an example. They warm our hearts. They give a person the necessary extra little “umpf” to go on. I needed this book now. It is important books such as this exist. Edie Crabtree (14 September 2014). "Under Cover: 9/11 Inspires Uplifting Book of Kindness Amid Tragedy". Newport Beach Independent . Retrieved 25 January 2021. An incredible and mammoth challenge. And one never to be forgotten by the passengers from so many countries in the world. Written with humanity and humility, the book is a must read. This was also part of the inspiration for the Broadway play "Come From Away"- which was great. This play was filmed and shown on television free of charge to anyone during covid, to make a point.