The Day the World Came to Town by Jim DeFede is the story set in Gander, Newfoundland just after 9/11 that the musical Come from Away is based on. Living now in Ashland, Oregon home of Oregon Shakespear Festival and so much more theater, we have tickets to see Come from Away this Spring; so even though I tend to not read as many books written by men, I thought I should read this one before seeing the musical.

It is a wonderful and heartwarming story of a small town coming together to take care of hundreds of passengers from all over the world whose planes were grounded in Gander after US airspace was closed on 9/11. There’s nothing fancy about the writing, but the story itself and the real life characters within are extraordinary, I can’t wait to see the musical! If you’re looking for a read that will help restore your faith in humanity, this just might be the book for you.