As a fan of Frank Hart’s music for 2 decades, I knew I would be entertained by reading his autobiography. I didn’t expect to be challenged, heartbroken, encouraged, and given hopefulness, too. That’s exactly what happened. Frank has lived seemingly three of four lifetimes, at least compared with me, and has been through more ups and downs that any rollercoaster. Reading his story was like taking that joyride along with him. God has used this book to speak to me in a profound way. Don’t be surprised if He does the same thing for you when you read it.
— Don
A fascinating and riveting look behind the mask of an intimidatingly talented and extremely intelligent artist. It’s amazing to see how God weaves the many experiences of our lives – failures, successes and even the seemingly pointless – to prepare us for exactly where we are, right now. He is always at work in and through us, whether we see or recognize it or not. Whether you were a fan of Love in Grey, Atomic Opera, Frank Hart or just want to read an honest story of triumph, struggle and faith – accompanied always by humor – pick up this book and give it a read. You’ll be glad you did.
— Erik
In Joyride, fans of Atomic Opera and friends of Frank Hart get to open up a 500-page reel of Frank’s life behind his “still-face” mask, a raw documentary that’s as beautifully uncut as the life it recounts. Here he is at the start, a 14-year-old boy staring up at the stars and staring curiously at God for the first time; and here he is at the end, a “post-jaded” man in his 50s still staring curiously into the future but with the faith now to share intimate, unshakable truths about God. And in between, he takes his friends on a loose ride from his “white-trash bloodline” to the lifestyle of an almost-famous musician. We ride high, through the vivid rush of new records and onstage performances, and we ride low, peering helplessly at him with his unloving father through the blessed distance of time. We are introduced to the special players in his life, especially his wife, whom he calls his hero. She’s our hero, too, because Frank’s tone lightens when she enters the story, peaking with a hilarious scene on their wedding day. But the very best moments are when Frank admits the things we’d all rather avoid about ourselves, like his fear of being unliked, or his embarrassment over his weight, or that for a while he forgot how to “delight” in his mom, or that he “lives in the tension between insecurity and arrogance.” He’s afraid we’ll find out he’s a fraud, but then so are most of us, if we’re honest with ourselves, and that’s what makes Joyride a worthwhile read.
— Ella
