Audiobook: Once Upon a Town by Bob Greene
The best part about this audiobook is learning about the North Platte Canteen. I have never even heard of it!
During WWII, as military men criss-crossed the country—going to training, going to duty stations, going to jumping off points, going home—the trains they rode on often stopped in North Platte, Nebraska.
Where? I know. Nothing goes through North Platte anymore, but back then, the Union Pacific had a station there. And with thousands of service personnel going through each day, the people of the region banded together to welcome them. They made sandwiches and fried chicken, baked countless cakes, and smiled, danced, and hugged these boys who were so far from home. Ten to twenty minutes at a time.
Trains stopped to take on fuel and water. Then they got going again. The guys ran into the canteen. Then they ran back out. But for four years and four months, there were always friendly faces there to meet them regardless of the time or day.
I used to read Bob Greene’s column in the Chicago Tribune regularly. He was always a reliable writer. He seemed to specialize in Americana stories, the ones about Main Streets, neighbors, and the hearty Midwest. So this book is right up his alley.
Greene found and interviewed the women who volunteered in the canteen and the soldiers who went through it. Chapter by chapter, they share their memories and how the canteen affected their lives. I challenge you to stay dry-eyed through this one.
Once Upon a Town
As an audiobook, I have to say that the voice of the reader detracted from the overall quality and value of the book. Fritz Weaver sounds like a deeper-voiced Tom Brokaw. Although he is a good actor, his deeper voice prevented much change in reflection so I didn’t know when he stopped speaking as an interviewee and was back on the narration. It was also easier to space out as the voice droned on.
The stories and structure of the book get repetitive after a while. You can really tell the strength of Bob Greene as a shorter-format writer here, but when everything goes back to back, I felt like I already got the message pages before. The additional chapters didn’t add more and different information.
But really, how would anyone cut out even one of the men and women interviewed here. It’s a remarkable story that doesn’t get much publicity. I’m glad this work is out there.
Audiobook Challenge status: twelve completed, zero! to go.