I Grew Up Little: Finding Hope in a Big God [Hardcover]

Patsy Clairmont (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 10, 2004

Patsy became a high school dropout, a teenage runaway, a bride at 17, and a parent at 20. She soon began to suffer from agoraphobia and became a prisoner in her own home. But to look at her now, walking back and forth across a stage talking to thousands of women, it's quite obvious that something has changed! I Grew Up Little is the story of how that transformation took place and how God can change each of us, as well.

I Grew Up Little is Patsy Clairmont's amazing story-told here in its entirety for the very first time. Her journey from a life filled with dark despair and depression to one of hope and complete transformation delivers a powerful message of hope and possibility to women of all ages.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Best-selling author and Women of Faith speaker Clairmont (God Uses Cracked Pots; Normal Is Just a Setting on Your Dryer), once had little hope for her future. As a sufferer of agoraphobia (fear of open or public places), the five-foot Clairmont found herself a prisoner in her own home as a young adult. A high school dropout who married at 17 and was a mother by 20, her sanity was slowly unraveling despite her faith in Christ. After her physician threw up his hands in despair, having already prescribed Clairmont with enough tranquilizers to knock out a horse, he recommended a mental health group called Recovery Inc. It was within the confines of this sensitive accountability group that the author began her journey toward mental and spiritual well-being. As Clairmont learned to focus on healthy thinking patterns and to develop days governed by discipline, she started to stabilize. She expounds upon her painful personal history by lacing this memoir of her early years with humor and optimism. Each chapter highlights an important person in her life and describes how this person influenced her fledgling faith. While countless attendees of the Women of Faith conferences will be thrilled to hear more of Clairmont's life story, some readers may find the text a bit lacking in depth; also, at times the emotional momentum falls flat. Still, Clairmont's candor and hope for a brighter future will win over the hearts of her fans.
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Product Details

• Hardcover: 160 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson; PF edition (March 10, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849918103
• ISBN-13: 978-0849918100
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #825,098 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Patsy Clairmont's quick wit and depth of biblical knowledge combine in a powerful pint-size package. She helps you to laugh God's truths right into your heart. Her mission to provide humor and hope for healing comes from her own struggles. A recovering agoraphobic, Patsy speaks at Women of Faith conferences, addressing tens of thousands of women, and has written more than twenty-four books, including Catching Fireflies, All Cracked Up, and I Grew Up Little. She loves a rainy day, a good book, and a deep cushioned chair. Given a day off, she shops, solves the world's problems with a friend over lunch, and hugs the stuffing out of her two grandsons, Justin and Noah. Patsy and her husband of forty-seven years, Les, live in Tennessee.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book, June 4, 2004

By 

lor369 - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Grew Up Little: Finding Hope in a Big God (Hardcover)

This book was Patsy Clairmont's autobiography, where she talks about her family, how she met her husband, her speaking ministry, friendships, and her struggle with agoraphobia, anxiety, and depression. The book was short and to the point. It was a fun little book to read. We see this woman who can get up and speak, yet, she comes through as a real person like you and me, someone we can all relate to. And her, describing her struggles with anxiety and agoraphobia, makes her all the more real. She lets us know that even though she was a Christian at the time, this did happen to her. The stories about her family, particularly her oldest son, were very amusing.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Growing up Little, but finding a big God, January 19, 2007

By 

Michelle L. Bengtson "Another who grew up little" (Southlake, Texas) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: I Grew Up Little: Finding Hope in a Big God (Hardcover)

Patsy has such a way with words that you could "hear her speak" through her book. I only wish she had focused more on the "how" she overcame the agoraphobia rather than so much history related to her family. But I loved it nonetheless and have already recommended it to others.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not what I expected........, April 12, 2006

By 

FirefightersWife (Near Seattle) - See all my reviews

This review is from: I Grew Up Little: Finding Hope in a Big God (Hardcover)

Althought I did enjoy this book, it had so little to do with agoraphobia. Each chapter tells of a different person in her life. Her mother, father, aunts and so on. There was only like 2 chapters that I felt touched on the agoraphobia and then it was like she simply overcame it overnight. I gave it 4 stars because I do love the stories of her Maw Maw etc., but if you are looking for something specifically on agoraphobia, I think you might be disappointed.