Gini F. (passionforbooks) -
Helpful Score: 5
I really liked this book. Although this true story takes place in my parent's generation rather than my own, I was definitely inspired to be more aware of the fact that a little bit done well can bring blessings to those around you who are in need. It was inspiring to read about how so many people in this small town pulled together to make a big difference and a lasting impression on thousands of American soldiers who passed through the area, coming and going to serve in the war. The citizens of North Platte should be proud of this accounting.
Lorraine H. (Maxs-Mom) - , reviewed Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen on + 73 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 4
Great book. A piece of history that is heart warming. Great stories of people from small towns who supported the troups in WW II.
Lynn R. (inforfun) reviewed Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen on + 4 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 3
This was a lovely read about the support a single town gave to our soldiers in WWII. It gave a glimpse into the goodness within the human spirit and all that is good about the USA. Not a lieterary giant but a reall feel good book.
Stephanie S. reviewed Once Upon a Town: The Miracle of the North Platte Canteen on + 168 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
I loved this book! It was so inspirational and heartwarming to read about how this town gave so generously to mllions of service men heading to war; I loved how the entire town united together to accomplish such a great thing. And the troops were so touched by the kindness they received; so many of them remembered their few minutes in the town for all their lives. It really boosted morale and made an impact. I also found the book bittersweet, for it shows how small-town America is slowly disappearing. It was a simpler time back then. This book made me wish I could have been born a few decades earlier so I could have experienced it.
Thomas F. (hardtack) -
Helpful Score: 2
Once upon a time in America, people were nice to each other, even people they didn't know.
Some of the reviewers didn't like this book. I guess they were never in the service and away from home for long periods of time. Maybe some of these reviewers are the kind of people you sit down next to at a bus stop, or in a waiting room somewhere and, when you try to strike up a conversation, they ignore you as they don't know you and they never will. I guess they are just too busy with themselves.
I was away in the service for four years, overseas or 3,000 miles away from home on a different coast. I treasured the experience when I was invited to a home for Thanksgiving, Easter, or even just any weekend.
This book wasn't so much about the town as it was about the thousands of servicemen who remembered the kindness of the people in the town. And still remember them 50 years later.
My mother is Australian, and her mother ran a boarding house in Sydney before and during WW II. On the boards at the service centers was a sign telling American servicemen that one day a week the house was open to them with home cooked food and a real home to rest in for a few hours. Not only did the men write letters thanking my grandmother, but their mothers in the United States also wrote her.
I can't give this book to my mother to read, as she remembers too many American submariners who visited every time their subs came off patrol, and too many times when they didn't come back and the sub was reported lost.
If we were all like the people of North Platte, the world would be a much happier place.
Some of the reviewers didn't like this book. I guess they were never in the service and away from home for long periods of time. Maybe some of these reviewers are the kind of people you sit down next to at a bus stop, or in a waiting room somewhere and, when you try to strike up a conversation, they ignore you as they don't know you and they never will. I guess they are just too busy with themselves.
I was away in the service for four years, overseas or 3,000 miles away from home on a different coast. I treasured the experience when I was invited to a home for Thanksgiving, Easter, or even just any weekend.
This book wasn't so much about the town as it was about the thousands of servicemen who remembered the kindness of the people in the town. And still remember them 50 years later.
My mother is Australian, and her mother ran a boarding house in Sydney before and during WW II. On the boards at the service centers was a sign telling American servicemen that one day a week the house was open to them with home cooked food and a real home to rest in for a few hours. Not only did the men write letters thanking my grandmother, but their mothers in the United States also wrote her.
I can't give this book to my mother to read, as she remembers too many American submariners who visited every time their subs came off patrol, and too many times when they didn't come back and the sub was reported lost.
If we were all like the people of North Platte, the world would be a much happier place.
