The Day the World Came to Town

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland is a 2002 oral history of the small town of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada in the wake of the September 11 attacks written by journalist Jim DeFede[1][2] It is the first book authored by DeFede.

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland
AuthorJim DeFede
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
GenreNonfiction
PublisherHarperCollins
Publication date
14 August 2003 (paperback)
Media typePrint, ebook, audiobook
Pages244 pp
ISBN978-0060559717

Background

In 2001, Gander International Airport played an integral role in world aviation in the hours immediately following the September 11 attacks when all of North America's airspace was closed by Transport Canada and the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). DeFede moved to Gander for two months after the September 11 Attacks to research the story.[1]

Synopsis

The Day the World Came to Town opens with a history of the town and an explanation of the strategic military and commercial importance of Gander International Airport. On September 11, DeFede reports that Gander, with a population of approximately 10,000, accepted 38 previously unscheduled planes carrying approximately 6,800 passengers and crew, most of which were stranded there until U.S. airspace reopened nearly a week later.[3]

From The Newport Beach Independent:

"In what is, I’m sure, one of the few truly uplifting volumes about 9/11, we meet the ordinary folks, who on a moments notice transformed their town into a giant shelter to welcome the “plane people.”
Ganderites offered their cars, food, showers, and beds to the strangers who would soon become honorary “Newfies.”[4]

Reception

DeFede won the 2003 Christopher Award for his work on The Day the World Came to Town.[5]

References
  1. Mark Bennett (8 September 2019). "Mark Bennett: Remembering 'The Day the World Came to Town'". Terre Haute Tribune Star. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  2. Lorne Manly (16 February 2016). "'Come From Away,' a Sept. 11 Musical, Is Coming to Broadway". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  3. Stuart Anderson (11 September 2019). "The Day Canadians Opened Their Homes To Americans". Forbes. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  4. Edie Crabtree (14 September 2014). "Under Cover: 9/11 Inspires Uplifting Book of Kindness Amid Tragedy". Newport Beach Independent. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
  5. John Alexander (25 January 2019). "Emmy Award-winning journalist from Bay Ridge receives prestigious duPont Award". Brooklyn Reporter. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
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