“It reads like a novel, but it’s all true”

Excellent…a rousing story of citizen disruption centered on the [visionary] Community Health Center in Middletown, Connecticut. A reader interested in the history of free clinics, or health care in general, will find Peace & Health fascinating and inspiring.” PUBLISHERS WEEKLY

A colorfully presented and encouraging history of an important community institution.” KIRKUS REVIEWS

Libraries and readers interested not just in healthcare advocacy, but the process of reinventing a system from the microcosm of building a clinic and pathways to using it will find Peace & Health not just idealistic and inspiring, but practical in charting routes to achieving community goals.” MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW

The story of the development of this community health center is awesome and inspiring. It is a striking example of individuals in a community recognizing an urgent need and working together to address that need. The Community Health Center exists today because of individuals who had a vision, and acted to fulfill it, exhibiting ingenuity, determination and persistence in overcoming many obstacles — social, cultural and economic.” LOUIS W. SULLIVAN, MD

President Emeritus, Morehouse School of Medicine, and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, 1989-1993

An antidote to modern cynicism. Charles Barber brilliantly tells the astonishing story of how an idea — healthcare as a right for all — can become a reality in one community. If you think it can’t be done, read this book!” DANIELLE OFRI, MD

Author of When We Do Harm: A Doctor Confronts Medical Error

Peace & Health reads like a novel but is all true: an inspiring story about community-based healthcare too easily ignored amidst medicine’s penchant for high-tech care.” JOSEPH J. FINS, MD

Professor of Medicine and Medical Ethics, Weill Cornell Medical College

In this affecting and expertly crafted book, Charles Barber tells the story of how a few inspired, resourceful, militantly decent people created from scratch an enduring institution that makes a lot of people’s lives better. A much-needed reminder of what we’re capable of at our best.” CARLO ROTELLA, PHD

Professor of English, Boston College, and author of The World Is Always Coming to an End: Pulling Together and Apart in a Chicago Neighborhood

For those committed to community engagement, Peace & Health provides a deep wellspring of hope.” CHYRELL BELLAMY, PHD

Director, Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health

More than a history of healthcare innovation, this book celebrates the passion that drives change in the world.” IAN ROBERTS, MD

Professor of Epidemiology, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

In Peace and Health, Charles Barber combines the artistry of a novelist and the skills of a reporter to introduce the founders, providers and patients that epitomize the spirit and enterprise of a great experiment that serves 30 million low-income Americans, portraying a critical element of the arc of justice that MLK spoke of 50 years ago.” MICHAEL ROWE

Author of Citizenship and Mental Health and Crossing the Border: Encounters between Homeless Persons and Outreach Workers