“A groundbreaking vision of recovery that continues to inspire over a century later.”
Founded in 1913 by Will and Agnes Gould, Gould Farm became the first residential therapeutic community in the United States for people living with serious mental health challenges. Out of their vision grew a farm where individuals could recover dignity and purpose through meaningful work, shared meals, and the bonds of community life.
In this moving account, William J. McKee—who grew up at Gould Farm—offers both a history and a portrait of the Farm’s spirit. From its beginnings in the Progressive Era to its development into a pioneering model of psychiatric rehabilitation, A Life of Sharing chronicles the people, challenges, and enduring values that shaped this unique place.
First published in 1994, this reprint invites readers to consider what Gould Farm has long embodied: the possibility of creating more humane, hopeful, and life-giving approaches to mental health treatment and care in our own time.
