Patricia Martin Holt is an American author living and writing in Atlanta, Georgia. Her debut non-fiction book, Committee of One: Making a Difference One Life at a Time, is a story of survival, heroism, courage and determination. Ms. Holt was named Georgia Author of the Year and was awarded the Bronze Medal by the Independent Publishers Association.
Her marriage required a move to Amman, Jordan, where her husband was helping the country to obtain water resources. She shed her life as a management consultant to learn the culture, traditions and history of the Arab people. Meeting Leila Wahbeh, the Committee of One who changed the lives of thousands of refugees by giving them a hand up, changed Ms. Holt’s as well.
Her new book, Empower a Refugee: Peace of Thread and the Backyard Humanity Movement , tells the stories of refugees resettled in Clarkston, Georgia, a community near Atlanta representing fifty-three nations. It describes the terrors of fleeing one’s home country due to war, famine or drought, spending years in refugee camps, and finally being sent to one of ten countries accepting refugees. The women settled here meet Denise Smith of Peace of Thread, who gives them a hand up by teaching them to sew and sell one-of-a-kind handbags. Ms. Holt was a Georgia Author of the Year finalist and was awarded first prize in non-fiction in Chanticleer’s International Competition.
