A Heartwarming Story About 9/11

The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander Newfoundland by Jim DeFede

Did you know that on September 11, 2001, after the terrorist attacks in New York, air space over the United States was closed? All planes headed to the U.S. from overseas had to put themselves down somewhere and 38 of them ended up in Gander, Newfoundland. Those planes were not able to take off again for five — and in some cases — six days. If you know of the story from the Broadway musical Come From Away, you know about the amazing generosity and kindness the 9000 Newfies showed the almost 7000 “guests” who, among other things, were unable to get their checked baggage out of cargo through the entire adventure.

Even if you saw the musical, this book will be of interest. After all, with 9000 Newfoundlanders and 7000 guests, there are 16,000 stories to tell and a play that is 100 minutes in duration can only cover so much ground.

One of my favorite stories in the book was learning about the well-to-do passenger, Werner Baldessarini, who was an executive for Hugo Boss. Accustomed to the finest menswear, it was quite a shock to his nervous system — and to his bottom — to have to wear the underwear available to him at the local Walmart. (Plan B would have been borrowed underwear from a townsman.) Ultimately, a high-end…