The Day the World Came to Town Audiobook By Jim DeFede cover art

The Day the World Came to Town

9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland

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The Day the World Came to Town

By: Jim DeFede
Narrated by: Ray Porter
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About this listen

Perfect for fans of the 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.

©2002 Jim DeFede (P)2017 HarperCollins Publishers
21st Century Canada Transportation Aviation Inspiring Heartfelt
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Featured Article: In the Oral Histories of 9/11, Grief, Hope, and Heroism Find a Voice


Memories passed down through storytelling have been a vital part of culture since the dawn of civilization, and we've all had moments of pained reminiscence: Where were you on that day? There are few accounts more powerful than audio recollections of the lived histories of 9/11—their words, their voices, their stories all ensure we will never forget, that the passage of time will never erode the memory of those loved, lost, and left behind.

What listeners say about The Day the World Came to Town

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Current History

A wonderful story recounting a horrific time in our history and the compassion that is within all of us.

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6 people found this helpful

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Absolutely delightful.

Every Audible subscriber should listen to this book. The warm hearted people of the province of Newfoundland did a remarkable job representing Canada to the world on that dreadful day. Their outpouring of generosity lasted for over a week to all the passengers who were stranded in the little community. This book is filled with one lovely story after another.

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Sorry it ended

What a beautiful book!! Wish I knew more about what happened to people.

Thing that SURPRISED me was how SURPRISED all the “plane people” were by the hospitality & generosity of the Newfies they met. I live in a small town in Texas, & can easily imagine the same response here. Small town country people r like that ALL over the world!!

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2 people found this helpful

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Very good book

this is one of the more positive books about 9/11. I really enjoyed the story, was very uplifting, made me cry, loved every minute of it.

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Heartwarming

During a horrific time in the USA, Newfoundland residents made it bearable for its displaced residents.

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Delightful book!

This is such a lovely listen... a hopeful view of people helping people in a very difficult time.

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The Day the World Came to Town

I really enjoyed this book. The unselfishness of these people was amazing and made me tear up several times. You hear so much about that day, but not so much about the other planes that were in the air. Ray Porter does a great job reading and sounds a little like Tom Hanks.

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I think I cried for 3+ hours of this 6.5 hour book

It was one of the most healing cries of my life. What a beautiful set of stories. I think almost every American should give this a read/listen. It's just such a different side of of all the horror and tragedy of 9/11.

I want to know there are good people in the world, it just helps me sleep at night. This book just slams you with example after example of utter kindness in what feels like the friendliest places on Earth. I think Gander is on my bucket list of places to go now.

I only listened because I truly enjoy Ray Porter as a narrator. It was such a great performance as always.

I'm going to drive over to my mother house and give her a hug. That is the kind of thing you will want to do after listening to this book. Just hug somebody and spread some love.

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wonderful

Loved it. More than 15 yrs after 9/11, this book brought tears to my eyes recalling vividly the event. The folks of Gander reminded me of what grace and human kindness is all about.

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Good story, well written

Much more interesting than i anticipated. this story is one of many. the events of 9/11 have affected so many in more ways than we can imagine. thank you for telling this one.

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