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

Words are failing me. Everything I come up with seems inadequate to describe the events of this book and it occurs to me that if I'm finding words inadequate after experiencing this third-hand, I'd have had a nervous breakdown trying to thank anyone who was as kind and generous to me as the people of Gander were to all those stranded passengers.

I don't think I've ever in my life said to anyone "you have to read this!!" but I'll say it now - everyone should read this. Given the constant stream of evidence we get every single day of the dark things humanity rains down upon this earth, this book gives us a powerful glimpse into the pure unadulterated goodness humanity is capable of.

Every single page of this book was filled with examples show more of extraordinary kindnesses; things the people of Gander and the surrounding towns did that they didn't have to do; things that went above and beyond making sure those that were stranded were comfortable and had the necessities. Newfoundland is an economically repressed island trying to survive the death of the fishing industry, but they didn't hesitate to throw birthday parties for the kids, or set up a kosher kitchen (requiring all new pots and pans, mind you) for the Orthodox Jews stranded there. They gave away everything they had if it was needed, including camping equipment for those that didn't want to sleep inside the shelters.

I could go on and on but instead you should just read this book, or hell, if there's another book out there about Gander on 9/11, read that one instead, but either way, these people need to be the shining example of the standard all people should set for themselves, every day.

Prepare for a teary read, but in a good way. There are a couple of moments of profound sadness, but 99% of this book is all about goodness. Profound, tear-inducing goodness.

I didn't go the whole 5-star hog because the author is a journalist by trade and while he does a stunning job–truly–the overall narrative read like a really long newspaper article and that's just not my preferred style. Additionally there were too many missing words and editing errors to completely ignore. So subjectively, 4.5 stars, but objectively, 4.75. show less

I absolutely loved this book about the people of the small city of Gander, Newfoundland and the surrounding area, and how they coped with the influx of thousands of airliner passengers forced to land there when US airspace was closed on 9/11.

There was so much to love about this book! Right off, Defede startled me into the realization that the US handed off some of our security nightmare to Canada, which the Canadians accepted without hesitation. After all, the fear was that there were more terrorists lurking on airplanes, right?

The book takes a look at a number of folks whose travels and lives were interrupted by the plane diversion -- including (among others) the parents of a FDNY firefighter at Ground Zero, a couple returning to the show more US with a newly-adopted daughter, and a US general high up in the Army intelligence community.

And then there are the "Newfies." The people of the Gander area went so far beyond allowing these people to land. They toook them to heart. They stripped their own beds so the visitors could have sheets. They invited strangers into their homes to shower, in those cases were the shelters lacked such facilities. They offered their telephones and internet connections and ears to hear sad stories. They cooked and commiserated. This book was filled with many, many heart-warming interactions between the Newfies and their guests.

And in the process of reading, I learned a lot about Newfoundland, and the history of Gander -- and why in the world so many people wound up there on 9/11.

I can't say enough good things about this book. show less

I haven't read any books that deal with 9/11. Though the events were ten years ago, they seem closer than that to me, and have shaped much of my adult life. I wanted to somehow commemorate the tenth anniversary of September 11, but I was afraid to read something that might turn dark and dismal. This story of townspeople reaching out to people whose planes were forced to land when U.S. airspace was shut down would be just the thing - true, yet uplifting. Still, especially in the beginning, when various people - pilots, air traffic controllers, the mayor of Gander - hear about or watch the planes fly into the towers, my heart starts pounding and my muscles tense. I find myself curling up tight in my chair, breathless. I didn't expect such show more a visceral response, or to feel instantly transported to the confusion and fear of that day, only my second week of college classes, the first class an English class from 9:30-11:15, our professor never breathing a word (did he not know?). And I remember how strange was the absence of the noise of airplanes, then the recurrence of them overhead.

There were 6,132 passengers, plus pilots and crews, on the flights diverted to Gander, Newfoundland. The townspeople could have put up a few shelters, called in the Red Cross, and called it a day. Instead, DeFede tells the stories of ordinary and extraordinary kindnesses - people giving their own towels to shelters, opening their homes, offering rides, and filling prescriptions free of charge. The stories of 6,000+ people could not fit in one book, but the stories of several are told here, often switching back and forth quickly between people keeping events in roughly chronological order through the several days Gander and the surrounding towns embraced their unexpected guests. Their stories made me laugh and cry in turn. I can't promise that I'll read any other books about 9/11, but I'm certainly not disappointed I read this one. show less

Having seen the musical Come From Away, I was excited to read this book which recounted the details of the day, 9/11, when 38 planes were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland. The compassion, humanity, and selflessness of the people of Gander is so inspiring.
The emotions of the passengers on the planes was incredible to read, and the preparedness of the townspeople and the officials is incredible.
Everyone should read this inspiring story -- and let's hope that we can all learn from it -- how to care for our fellow human beings, and animal friends, without expecting anything in return.
A beautiful story.

This was an incredibly inspiring and thought provoking book.

The kindness displayed by the population of Gander to so many people who were passengers on the planes that could not enter US air space, is overwhelming. I was touched by many of the stories - Orthodox Jewish people, and the the story of the Jewish chap who had lived in Newfoundland since the War years and not told his wife he was Jewish, the lady who left complete strangers in her home to shower inviting them to rest and relax and to simply close the door when they left. The trust of the Newfoundlanders during a time filled with mistrust was amazing. Not to mention the story of the young couple bringing back to the US their adopted daughter and of course the couple whose son show more was a firefighter in New York. show less

On September 11, 2001 the United States grounded all planes in its airspace and locked down its borders after the Twin Towers and Pentagon were struck in a terrorist attack. This unprecedented move caused the 4,546 aircraft in US airspace to scramble for a place to land, but even more difficult was what to do with the 400 incoming international flights. Most were coming from Europe across the Atlantic. What to do with them? Those that had not yet hit the halfway point, could turn around (not an easy task in itself), but the others had to find a place to land in Canada. And Canada accepted them all, despite the suspicions of US and Canadian officials that there were more terrorists on some of those flights.

The tiny town of Gander was show more home to an international airport with a long runway, legacy of World War II and pre-747 airplanes. Thirty-eight planes carrying 6,595 crew and passengers would land in Gander and spend the next six days in this town of less than 10,000 people. This book is about who some of those "plane people" were and how they were welcomed and cared for in this tight-knit community. Some of the issues that the townspeople faced were: how to deal with nicotine-deprived passengers before they could deplane, how to get fill prescriptions for people from dozens of different countries (passengers were never allowed access to checked baggage due to security), what to do with the animals flying in the cargo hold, including two very rare bonobos monkeys, how to provide kosher food for three Orthodox Jews in a town with no Jewish community, what to do with all the children, etc., etc.

I devoured in one sitting this book about a feel-good moment amidst the horrors of 9/11 and its aftermath. The stories were heartwarming, and the logistics were fascinating. The book only mentions in the afterward some of the negative issues surrounding the people and the effects of the attention paid to Gander after the book (and subsequent musical and documentary). It's focus is definitely on the overall positives, but I was okay with that. So many books about 9/11 have focused on the heartbreak, it was nice to read something uplifting. show less

I read The Day the World Came to Town by Jim Defede for my RLBG. Even after 20 years, I still found myself emotional over 9/11 and its aftermath. Maybe it's because of all we have lived through in those 20 years. Defede tells the story of Gander, Newfoundland (pronounced Newfin-land, reminds with understand), the town at the edge of the sea where 48 jets landed when the United States air space closed.

Gander, along with its neighboring towns, stepped up to host the passengers in a way that made it seem that had been waiting for this to happen. Perhaps it is just the nature of a small town where everyone works together in different organizations and churches to be able to organize quickly and efficiently. They were generous in opening show more their homes to the strangers for showers, meals and extra beds.

Defede interviewed many of the townspeople and passengers for the book and tells it from a variety of points of views. He shows how, even in just a few days, human beings can make lifelong connections. In the 20th anniversary edition, he provides an afterword that follows the lives of the main characters.

The book is Defede's love story to Newfies. But, he points out in the afterword that the town of Gander is not some kind of perfect paradise. In fact, as the story opens, the bus drivers are on strike. That detail jarred a little from what I had heard of Gander. The drivers did abandon their strike for the few days they were needed, but went back to it after the emergency was over. Defede mentions some of the other controversies that have taken place in the past two decades and that some people in Newfoundland aren't comfortable with what they see as capitalizing on the terrible events of 9/11.

A good read and I am looking forward to talking it over with the group later today. show less