Grab Your Book and Start Reading!

On Tuesday October 8, I hope you will consider joining us for a book discussion on Bob Greene’s “Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen.”  This New York Times Bestseller tells the story of rural Nebraskans working together so that all soldiers had a welcome greeting as they passed through Nebraska on their way to wherever they were going.

Here’s the summary from the back of the book:

“During World War II, American soldiers from every city and walk of life rolled through North Platte, Nebraska, on troop trains en route to their ultimate destinations in Europe and the Pacific. The tiny town, wanting to offer servicemen warmth and support, transformed its modest railroad depot into the North Platte Canteen.  Every day of the year, every day of the war, the Canteen – staffed and funded entirely by local volunteers – was open from five a.m. until the last troop train of the day pulled away after midnight.  Astonishingly, this remote plains community of only 12,000 people provided welcoming words, friendship and baskets of food and treats to more than six million GIs by the time the war ended. In this poignant and heartwarming eyewitness history, based on interviews with North Platte residents and the soldiers who once passed through, Bob Greene tells a classic, lost-in-the-mists of time American story of a grateful country honoring its brave and dedicated sons.”

What questions do you have for the residents of North Platte? What might you ask Bob Greene about his experiences tracing the stories of a time long ago?  Much like Bob Hope was named an Ambassador of Goodwill for his tireless support and helping veterans have a little piece of home wherever they are, so too did the Nebraskans at that train station for every stop.  Join us as we discuss some of these stories.  It’s a fantastic uplifting read and I think you’ll very much enjoy it.

If you aren’t able to make it here, post any questions or comments on the North Platte Canteen or the book “Once Upon a Town” in the comments section and we will be sure to discuss at the book club.  If you are in New Orleans at 6pm on Tuesday, October 8, please, pick up a copy of this book from your favorite bookstore or the library and join us! Sign up to attend!

Post by Lauren Handley, Education Programs Coordinator