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Blind Pony: As True A Story As I Can Tell
The true story of a runaway teen who escapes an abusive home life only to find herself in predatory Los Angeles in the 1970's. After years of enduring her grandfather's sexual abuse, 14-year-old Samantha Hart runs away from her Pennsylvania family farm in search of her estranged father in Arizona.
After a troubling reunion, she flees to the promising lights of La-La Land. Desperate to forget the past, she immerses herself in a spectacle of drugs, decadence, and money in Hollywood.
But when a wealthy playboy mistakes her Pittsburgh accent for British, a new spiral of white lies begins, and a new identity is born. Swept to Europe, Samantha floats through champagne parties, sexual adventures, and a whirlwind of international escapades. With a portfolio of nude photos under her arm, she is determined to make something of herself.
Will her young, broken spirit find the strength to persevere, to survive the unsurvivable? Will she transcend the temptation to give up in a world that seems so set against her?
BLIND PONY: AS TRUE A STORY AS I CAN TELL is the tale of one young woman's unwillingness to accept the circumstances life dealt her, and instead, takes the reins to find success beyond her wildest dreams.
After a troubling reunion, she flees to the promising lights of La-La Land. Desperate to forget the past, she immerses herself in a spectacle of drugs, decadence, and money in Hollywood.
But when a wealthy playboy mistakes her Pittsburgh accent for British, a new spiral of white lies begins, and a new identity is born. Swept to Europe, Samantha floats through champagne parties, sexual adventures, and a whirlwind of international escapades. With a portfolio of nude photos under her arm, she is determined to make something of herself.
Will her young, broken spirit find the strength to persevere, to survive the unsurvivable? Will she transcend the temptation to give up in a world that seems so set against her?
BLIND PONY: AS TRUE A STORY AS I CAN TELL is the tale of one young woman's unwillingness to accept the circumstances life dealt her, and instead, takes the reins to find success beyond her wildest dreams.
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 15, 2021
About the author
Samantha Hart
2 books385 followersSamantha Hart is a captivating storyteller whose debut memoir, Blind Pony: As True A Story As I Can Tell, was recognized as a quarter-finalist in the Publisher's Weekly BookLife Prize. Her highly anticipated first novel, Desperation Will Kill You, is set to be released in Spring 2025.
Desperation Will Kill You is a gripping tale set against the backdrop of the ruthless 1990s Hollywood entertainment industry. The story follows Franny Lane, a tenacious protagonist navigating the shark-infested waters of a male-dominated world. When Franny pitches her favorite band for the soundtrack of a high-stakes film produced by Hollywood's most influential mogul, Don Bradford, their lives intertwine, igniting a perilous romance that blurs the lines between fiction and reality.
Drawing inspiration from Charles Dickens's classic, Great Expectations, Samantha Hart masterfully explores themes of identity, ambition, and the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry. Her narrative seamlessly weaves together the plot of the fictional movie within the novel, creating a multi-layered reading experience that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
With over a decade of experience as a creative marketing executive in the film industry, Samantha Hart brings an insider's perspective to her writing. She has collaborated with legendary directors such as Steven Soderbergh, the Coen Brothers, Kimberly Pierce, Kevin Smith, and Richard Linklater. Her deep understanding of Hollywood's inner workings and challenges infuses Desperation Will Kill You with an authenticity that makes for a riveting thriller.
Samantha is also the founder and former CEO of Foundation Content, a 50-person company specializing in production and post-production for the advertising industry in Chicago and Los Angeles. Her work has garnered numerous accolades, including the prestigious Gold Hugo Award, and has been featured in multiple marketing and design publications.
With a knack for high-concept ideas that define a brand’s essence, Samantha Hart's writing is as compelling as it is insightful. Her unique blend of personal experience and industry expertise makes her a standout voice in contemporary literature.
Stay tuned for Desperation Will Kill You, a novel that promises to be as thrilling as it is thought-provoking.
Desperation Will Kill You is a gripping tale set against the backdrop of the ruthless 1990s Hollywood entertainment industry. The story follows Franny Lane, a tenacious protagonist navigating the shark-infested waters of a male-dominated world. When Franny pitches her favorite band for the soundtrack of a high-stakes film produced by Hollywood's most influential mogul, Don Bradford, their lives intertwine, igniting a perilous romance that blurs the lines between fiction and reality.
Drawing inspiration from Charles Dickens's classic, Great Expectations, Samantha Hart masterfully explores themes of identity, ambition, and the dark underbelly of the entertainment industry. Her narrative seamlessly weaves together the plot of the fictional movie within the novel, creating a multi-layered reading experience that keeps readers on the edge of their seats.
With over a decade of experience as a creative marketing executive in the film industry, Samantha Hart brings an insider's perspective to her writing. She has collaborated with legendary directors such as Steven Soderbergh, the Coen Brothers, Kimberly Pierce, Kevin Smith, and Richard Linklater. Her deep understanding of Hollywood's inner workings and challenges infuses Desperation Will Kill You with an authenticity that makes for a riveting thriller.
Samantha is also the founder and former CEO of Foundation Content, a 50-person company specializing in production and post-production for the advertising industry in Chicago and Los Angeles. Her work has garnered numerous accolades, including the prestigious Gold Hugo Award, and has been featured in multiple marketing and design publications.
With a knack for high-concept ideas that define a brand’s essence, Samantha Hart's writing is as compelling as it is insightful. Her unique blend of personal experience and industry expertise makes her a standout voice in contemporary literature.
Stay tuned for Desperation Will Kill You, a novel that promises to be as thrilling as it is thought-provoking.
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March 18, 2021
Blind Pony: As True A Story As I Can Tell
by Samantha Hart
I received a copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
A heart-wrenching memoir from journals that begin during the authors childhood. We follow the author down “ the dusty trail “ of her life with a little added interpreted fiction covering the meeting of her parents.
Born Pammy Sue, she was unfortunately named after a woman her father, Wild Bill Butter, had an affair with. Her parents had a diffcult marriage, living with her mothers' parents on a farm but from the tender age of five years, her grandfather began to sexually abuse her. She suffered in silence for years at his hands whilst her mother turned a blind eye. Having experienced this abuse herself, it amazes me that her mother did not react or was that how strong a hold he had over them?
Was it the fear or shame that prevented the secret from being told?
Her parents had already split by the time she reached 14, and not being able to take it anymore, she found the courage to leave venturing to live with her father.
Reading her lifestory is raw and emotional . Graduating from high school, finally realising she can be “ herself “, Pamela Sue Butter , but after suffering years of child abuse, growing up in a dysfunctional family, was it any wonder she only saw herself as a “ lost teenage runaway girl “...
Despite her many exploits, being so young, I am staggered and in awe that she worked whilst studying. Her natural talent at sales talk being an instinct or maybe just her will to survive?
At sweet sixteen, feeling used and abused with the certainty of men being only interested in one thing, she ventures to L.A...when I think of what I was capable of at aged 16, this terrifes and astonishes me. It also underlines the fact of how privileged I have been surrounded by a loving family whereas the author constantly endures parental abandonment.
She is introduced to drink and drugs that go hand-in-hand with the lifestyle and era, assisting the blackout to all her pain. At just 18 years old, she had experienced more than some would in their whole life or that others can only dream about. Having the aptness to recreate herself at the drop of a hat only proves how mutlitalented she was. “ Wild Bill “ was far from being the ideal father, but he did teach her how to survive with all his tips and tricks.
This is a must read and has been an honour to have been given insight into a part of the authors life, her own very personal path to healing.
by Samantha Hart
I received a copy of the book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
A heart-wrenching memoir from journals that begin during the authors childhood. We follow the author down “ the dusty trail “ of her life with a little added interpreted fiction covering the meeting of her parents.
Born Pammy Sue, she was unfortunately named after a woman her father, Wild Bill Butter, had an affair with. Her parents had a diffcult marriage, living with her mothers' parents on a farm but from the tender age of five years, her grandfather began to sexually abuse her. She suffered in silence for years at his hands whilst her mother turned a blind eye. Having experienced this abuse herself, it amazes me that her mother did not react or was that how strong a hold he had over them?
Was it the fear or shame that prevented the secret from being told?
Her parents had already split by the time she reached 14, and not being able to take it anymore, she found the courage to leave venturing to live with her father.
Reading her lifestory is raw and emotional . Graduating from high school, finally realising she can be “ herself “, Pamela Sue Butter , but after suffering years of child abuse, growing up in a dysfunctional family, was it any wonder she only saw herself as a “ lost teenage runaway girl “...
Despite her many exploits, being so young, I am staggered and in awe that she worked whilst studying. Her natural talent at sales talk being an instinct or maybe just her will to survive?
At sweet sixteen, feeling used and abused with the certainty of men being only interested in one thing, she ventures to L.A...when I think of what I was capable of at aged 16, this terrifes and astonishes me. It also underlines the fact of how privileged I have been surrounded by a loving family whereas the author constantly endures parental abandonment.
She is introduced to drink and drugs that go hand-in-hand with the lifestyle and era, assisting the blackout to all her pain. At just 18 years old, she had experienced more than some would in their whole life or that others can only dream about. Having the aptness to recreate herself at the drop of a hat only proves how mutlitalented she was. “ Wild Bill “ was far from being the ideal father, but he did teach her how to survive with all his tips and tricks.
This is a must read and has been an honour to have been given insight into a part of the authors life, her own very personal path to healing.
March 12, 2021
This book is fantastic. I had no idea who Samantha Hart was going into it, so I picked it on its content alone. Hart is an incredible story teller and a master of words. Your heart aches for her in the bad times and soars for her in the good times. This is a heavy read, but so easy to fall into and find that you've been reading for hours on end. Thank you to NetGalley and Samantha Hart for allowing me to read this book early!
March 8, 2021
Blind Pony follows the early life of the author who while living on her grandpa's farm in Pennsylvania is subjected to sexual abuse by her grandpa and a mother who chose to look the other way decides at the age of 14 to run away to live with her dysfunctional father. This leads her to getting work to survive in various places around the world and doing while being a teenager and there are sure interesting jobs but it surely fits with the time of the 1970's and she does these jobs literally around the world. You definitely see she is not worldly by the ways and individuals that take advantage of her. But through it all she shows grit and the will to learn and progress. This book is not action packed or a thriller but it draws you in to see how she progress in her right up to the end of the book. It still amazes me how messed up her parents were.
Give this book a read about true perseverance.
Give this book a read about true perseverance.
February 17, 2021
I was lucky to receive an ARC of this book and a handwritten note from the author herself! In her debut memoir, Samantha Hart details her early childhood in rural Pennsylvania and how she ran away to California when she was 14, and her adventures sound the world through her early 20’s.
I really really liked the book and was shocked at how good the writing was since it’s a debut. Some parts were extremely difficult to read as Sam detailed several instances of sexual assault and drug addiction, and my heart absolutely broke for her. I actually related a lot to Sam at 17-18, so it was easy to empathize with what she was going through and enjoyable to read. I found Sam’s resilience to be absolutely astounding and inspiring, and after finishing the book I feel like I know her well.
This book will be published on March 15. I seriously recommend to any of my fellow memoir lovers out there! Thank you again @therealsamhart for the gifted copy!
I really really liked the book and was shocked at how good the writing was since it’s a debut. Some parts were extremely difficult to read as Sam detailed several instances of sexual assault and drug addiction, and my heart absolutely broke for her. I actually related a lot to Sam at 17-18, so it was easy to empathize with what she was going through and enjoyable to read. I found Sam’s resilience to be absolutely astounding and inspiring, and after finishing the book I feel like I know her well.
This book will be published on March 15. I seriously recommend to any of my fellow memoir lovers out there! Thank you again @therealsamhart for the gifted copy!
March 9, 2021
‘By the way, my name is Samantha’ – Welcome to a fascinating life!
California author Samantha Hart is a significant figure in the entertainment industry, serving in positions in music, film, advertising, and senior creative executive. Her numerous awards have recognized her contributions in creative direction, copywriting, and design. BLIND PONY is her memoir tracing her beginnings with a traumatic childhood and young adulthood, surviving many obstacles to achieve personal and financial independence and fame.
Samantha’s delicious memoir opens with a preface the sets the tone of this odyssey well – ‘Rummaging through some old boxes in the attic, I came upon a journal I wrote when I was twelve years old. It was the beginning of a book I felt compelled to write. It’s hard to believe how much time has passed since I penned the first line, “This is a story about me, nobody special.” I realized it’s time I fulfilled that twelve year old’s dream. The stories you will read in this memoir about my life are as they happened, as I documented in my journals over the years, and as I remember them…Follow me down the dusty trail of my life and embark on the journey as true a story as I can tell.’
The memoir Samantha has written radiates warmth, humor, realities, heart-tugging experiences – all related in a manner that make for not only an interesting read, but also a paean to survival and overcoming hurdles to achieve a rich and significant life as a mother and Hollywood icon. As she opens her story in reflection: ‘The towering seventy-foot billboard, a cutout cowboy smoking Marlboros, watched over me and bore witness to the woman I had become. Each time I drove by Chateau Marmont, I gazed up into his eyes and wondered what he thought of the girl who arrived in Los Angeles in 1975 on the edge of seventeen with nothing to lose. It may sound crazy to say I hoped he approved, but that wish was no more insane than when I had once sought approval from another cowboy who’d also appeared larger than life, smoked Marlboros, and didn’t say much or pass judgment. I lived in Hollywood Hills with my daughter, Vignette, and worked in the graphics department of a record company. As I drove Vignettte to school each day, I told her the giant billboard was a picture of her grandfather, Wild Bill. Like my dad always said, “If you’re going to tell a lie, it might as well be a big one.”
From that initial entry the memoir slips into the author’s childhood in Pennsylvania, her running away from home to escape her grandfather’s sexual abuse, her flight to Arizona, the move to LA and substance abuse, time in Europe and the break in her spirit due to the life style and personal escapades, and her survival to return to Hollywood and success on every level. Told with sparkling wit and style, this is a life to ponder – and respect. The book is a very entertaining read, one with many insights about introspection and overcoming barricades. Recommended.
California author Samantha Hart is a significant figure in the entertainment industry, serving in positions in music, film, advertising, and senior creative executive. Her numerous awards have recognized her contributions in creative direction, copywriting, and design. BLIND PONY is her memoir tracing her beginnings with a traumatic childhood and young adulthood, surviving many obstacles to achieve personal and financial independence and fame.
Samantha’s delicious memoir opens with a preface the sets the tone of this odyssey well – ‘Rummaging through some old boxes in the attic, I came upon a journal I wrote when I was twelve years old. It was the beginning of a book I felt compelled to write. It’s hard to believe how much time has passed since I penned the first line, “This is a story about me, nobody special.” I realized it’s time I fulfilled that twelve year old’s dream. The stories you will read in this memoir about my life are as they happened, as I documented in my journals over the years, and as I remember them…Follow me down the dusty trail of my life and embark on the journey as true a story as I can tell.’
The memoir Samantha has written radiates warmth, humor, realities, heart-tugging experiences – all related in a manner that make for not only an interesting read, but also a paean to survival and overcoming hurdles to achieve a rich and significant life as a mother and Hollywood icon. As she opens her story in reflection: ‘The towering seventy-foot billboard, a cutout cowboy smoking Marlboros, watched over me and bore witness to the woman I had become. Each time I drove by Chateau Marmont, I gazed up into his eyes and wondered what he thought of the girl who arrived in Los Angeles in 1975 on the edge of seventeen with nothing to lose. It may sound crazy to say I hoped he approved, but that wish was no more insane than when I had once sought approval from another cowboy who’d also appeared larger than life, smoked Marlboros, and didn’t say much or pass judgment. I lived in Hollywood Hills with my daughter, Vignette, and worked in the graphics department of a record company. As I drove Vignettte to school each day, I told her the giant billboard was a picture of her grandfather, Wild Bill. Like my dad always said, “If you’re going to tell a lie, it might as well be a big one.”
From that initial entry the memoir slips into the author’s childhood in Pennsylvania, her running away from home to escape her grandfather’s sexual abuse, her flight to Arizona, the move to LA and substance abuse, time in Europe and the break in her spirit due to the life style and personal escapades, and her survival to return to Hollywood and success on every level. Told with sparkling wit and style, this is a life to ponder – and respect. The book is a very entertaining read, one with many insights about introspection and overcoming barricades. Recommended.
March 30, 2021
Hart has led one heck of a life. This book is a memoir, and it’s one that really gets you invested in Hart’s story. The book starts off rather dark (chapter 3, that was a doozy), but it’s honest. It goes quickly from a bleak outlook and painful circumstances to parties and being lost in the LA glamour and grind as well as what darkness lies under the veneer of the party lifestyle.
I think my favorite part is how honest Hart is. She’s candid about the people that come and go in her life, and open about her choices. I really enjoyed her adventure in Europe, and I thought the way she found her footing and then left William spoke to the complexity and dynamics in relationships.
The book reads like it a novel broken up into the important bits. It’s written well and is a breath of fresh air in a genre where people tend to dress up the darker parts. I definitely recommend it.
I think my favorite part is how honest Hart is. She’s candid about the people that come and go in her life, and open about her choices. I really enjoyed her adventure in Europe, and I thought the way she found her footing and then left William spoke to the complexity and dynamics in relationships.
The book reads like it a novel broken up into the important bits. It’s written well and is a breath of fresh air in a genre where people tend to dress up the darker parts. I definitely recommend it.
February 24, 2021
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
This is quite the roller coaster ride the reader experiences while reading this book. The ups and downs of her life are pretty fascinating. Her courage and strength to overcome abuse and drugs is remarkable. The only thing lacking that I would've liked to read was more about her mom and see her side of things. Overall, this is well written and engaging.
This is quite the roller coaster ride the reader experiences while reading this book. The ups and downs of her life are pretty fascinating. Her courage and strength to overcome abuse and drugs is remarkable. The only thing lacking that I would've liked to read was more about her mom and see her side of things. Overall, this is well written and engaging.
March 17, 2021
Blind Pony is memoir of strength, courage and taking chances that are against all odds. Samantha Hart wasn’t born Samantha Hart, she was born Pammy Sue Butter, named after her fathers mistress. After watching her father drink and gamble his way through life, he eventually leaves Pammy Sue, her four sisters, her mother alone to fend for themselves. Her mother moves the girls into a rural family farm in Pennsylvania to live with their grandparents which is where Pammy Sue’s life spirals into a dark oblivion. At the age of 13 she runs away from after being molested by her grandfather for years and her mother finally finding out and doing nothing to stop the abuse. She lands in Arizona with her estranged father and eventually makes her way to LA where it is a blur of men, drugs and hardship for a young girl who has never been on her own.
Hart’s memoir equal parts intrigued me but also left me with so many questions. The subtitle is “As True a Story as I can Tell” and memoirs are famously memory vs. History. If you’ve read Educated by Tara Westover, you know the controversy that has come with the book from her family that she no longer speaks to. But Hart has made some amends with her family, particularly her mother and in knowing that I would’ve liked to see more of her mother’s side of the story come through. Like why did you let her grandfather get away with molesting her? Where did her sisters go? Does she have any sort of relationship with them? But that just might be my own curiosity. When she gets to LA and to the heart of her journey, that’s where I was pulled in. I was amazed by this young girl who put herself at risk with crazy decisions, like living with strange men. I was more impressed by how she persevered coming from absolutely nothing and having nothing to her way for years but never gives up. Hart has a great writing voice that you can see develop throughout the book as she grows from a naive child to a strong independent woman.
Thank you Samantha Hart for the ARC! Check this one out on shelves in March!
Hart’s memoir equal parts intrigued me but also left me with so many questions. The subtitle is “As True a Story as I can Tell” and memoirs are famously memory vs. History. If you’ve read Educated by Tara Westover, you know the controversy that has come with the book from her family that she no longer speaks to. But Hart has made some amends with her family, particularly her mother and in knowing that I would’ve liked to see more of her mother’s side of the story come through. Like why did you let her grandfather get away with molesting her? Where did her sisters go? Does she have any sort of relationship with them? But that just might be my own curiosity. When she gets to LA and to the heart of her journey, that’s where I was pulled in. I was amazed by this young girl who put herself at risk with crazy decisions, like living with strange men. I was more impressed by how she persevered coming from absolutely nothing and having nothing to her way for years but never gives up. Hart has a great writing voice that you can see develop throughout the book as she grows from a naive child to a strong independent woman.
Thank you Samantha Hart for the ARC! Check this one out on shelves in March!
April 1, 2021
4.5 Stars
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
“I still believed kindness existed in the world. I even felt today could be the day I would rise above my fears...If I could hold on to the belief that there was goodness in the world, I knew it would manifest in my life.��� - Blind Pony.
This debut memoir follows Samantha Hart, who was originally named after her father’s affair, and grew up on a farm in rural Pennsylvania that had been no childhood idyll but rather a violent nightmare. At fourteen years old, she ran away in search of her father, a character she knew as Wild Bill. Discovering he wasn’t the hero she dreamt he’d be, she was on her own. Arriving in Los Angeles at the peak of LA’s decadence where money, drugs, and good times flowed, she floated through a strange new world of champagne-soaked parties, high-stakes backgammon tournaments, and a whirlwind of international escapades flogging nude photographs. When a wealthy playboy mistakes her accent for being British, it begins a spiral of lies leading Sam to question everything she thought she knew about herself and who she could be.
Thank you to both Samantha Hart and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. What I can say about this heartfelt memoir is that it blew me away! With her writing, Sam opens up about her heartbreaking past with vulnerability and strength. The writing itself is fantastic, engaging, and is deeply introspective. Sam tells her journey about growing up on a farm and facing abuse to when she is alone as an adolescent in the heart of Los Angeles and into her young-adult years. Some parts of this story were hard to read as Sam talks about sexual assault, drug addition, and even physical abuse. However, this is a beautifully written story about her own life, the lessons, and strength she found along the way. If you enjoy memoirs you must pick this book up!
See more on my Bookstagram: Shelf.Inspiration Instagram
“I still believed kindness existed in the world. I even felt today could be the day I would rise above my fears...If I could hold on to the belief that there was goodness in the world, I knew it would manifest in my life.��� - Blind Pony.
This debut memoir follows Samantha Hart, who was originally named after her father’s affair, and grew up on a farm in rural Pennsylvania that had been no childhood idyll but rather a violent nightmare. At fourteen years old, she ran away in search of her father, a character she knew as Wild Bill. Discovering he wasn’t the hero she dreamt he’d be, she was on her own. Arriving in Los Angeles at the peak of LA’s decadence where money, drugs, and good times flowed, she floated through a strange new world of champagne-soaked parties, high-stakes backgammon tournaments, and a whirlwind of international escapades flogging nude photographs. When a wealthy playboy mistakes her accent for being British, it begins a spiral of lies leading Sam to question everything she thought she knew about herself and who she could be.
Thank you to both Samantha Hart and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. What I can say about this heartfelt memoir is that it blew me away! With her writing, Sam opens up about her heartbreaking past with vulnerability and strength. The writing itself is fantastic, engaging, and is deeply introspective. Sam tells her journey about growing up on a farm and facing abuse to when she is alone as an adolescent in the heart of Los Angeles and into her young-adult years. Some parts of this story were hard to read as Sam talks about sexual assault, drug addition, and even physical abuse. However, this is a beautifully written story about her own life, the lessons, and strength she found along the way. If you enjoy memoirs you must pick this book up!
March 31, 2021
Blind Pony is the memoir of Californian author Samantha Hart. It is an emotionally-packed, traumatic and very graphic story of childhood abuse which no-one should have to endure. At the age of 14 Samantha takes the decision to escape the abuse of her grandfather and travel to Los Angeles to locate her father “Wild Bill”, that leads her on another precarious journey into sex, drugs and rock n roll. I found this to be a very powerful true life story that drew me in from the first paragraph. It was an emotional roller coaster of a read that made me both laugh and cry. I most definitely recommend this book, however feel I need to mention that it is very graphic so be aware if you are a little squeamish.
March 16, 2021
BLIND PONY: As True A Story As I Can Tell by Samantha Hart isn't your usual memoir. She shows you the good, bad, and extremely ugly true of her life. As I read this book, I wanted to feel sorry for Samantha, but it would turn around and you would triumph with her as the hardship she just experience gave her the next stepping stone for her journey in life.
Samantha Hart's book BLIND PONY is a fascinating read, though quite gritty. Given her home life was so bad they didn't even look for her when she ran away. The pace is quick as Sammy travels from a man to a gig to a dream. I loved her philosophy of why she likes to sleep with books under her pillow. The healing time she has with her family members is emotional and refreshing that she could forgive. Following Samantha's life is like a roller coaster, but so rewarding.
Samantha Hart's book BLIND PONY is a fascinating read, though quite gritty. Given her home life was so bad they didn't even look for her when she ran away. The pace is quick as Sammy travels from a man to a gig to a dream. I loved her philosophy of why she likes to sleep with books under her pillow. The healing time she has with her family members is emotional and refreshing that she could forgive. Following Samantha's life is like a roller coaster, but so rewarding.
March 10, 2021
Loved every part of this book! The story is told with grace and humor. Inspiring and hopeful.
January 3, 2022
I almost didn’t get into this book. At first, Sam Hart’s writing, in two or three sentence paragraphs, jarred me. I didn’t know if there would be a story, yet what she was saying in bits and pieces engaged my attention. I read some reviews – both positive and negative and decided to read on. Now, I cannot stop thinking about her life, covered her into her early thirties or so. And I think her way of telling it was just right. Much is made in the press around this book about Hart’s significant creative and financial success as a creative director and stylist, working and winning awards for films you would recognize. She had a knack early on for reorganizing rooms to a new and better look and styling her outfits from thrift store finds. This helped her with some rather surprising jobs and careers, as a teenager and well into her twenties. We do not learn of her later success in this book. But if she had never made it big at all, her jagged persistence in making a better life for herself and slowly making more good choices for herself, when she spent a lifetime of often having only lousy or worse choices, makes Sam’s story. She did not have to succeed in a conventional or big splash way to be a hero. She just had to figure out things adults did not teach her or model for her and live a safer life and a happier life. This isn’t an easy book to read because, like many people who have been abused as children, Sam needs to figure out how to survive pretty much on her own from her earliest years. There is much to respect in how well she managed, leaving one seriously abusive setting at fourteen for a less, but still abusive new setting. How do you grow up and find a way to live a stable life when you are fully on your own at fourteen and, for the next fifteen years living on the edge, vulnerable to predatory men, damaged men, and the drug scene. When most people in your life are emotionally detached and no one is a poster-child for living a sober, self-sustaining, calm, and interesting-in-a-good-way life and you need to be deceptive with most people, how do you become you? Sam has always known there is something more she wants. She travels a path that weaves in fits and starts, through drinking rum and cokes at fourteen with her con-man father; supporting herself to get through high school; falling in with men who house her for a time but do not connect emotionally; constant exposure to drug use; time as a backgammon champion; and posing for, then falling into business with a photographer who shoots for men’s magazines. Still, people like her and remember her and think she is pretty. Sam learns from each dead end, each fall into despair. It helps a lot that she is a people person, that some really horrible people also created opportunities for her and that here and there, some people cared for her and her welfare, without strings attached. Eventually, she gets to a more ordinary relationship where the things that go wrong are more familiar to many of us, at first happy, then sad, then angry, then over. But in a way that is so much more normal. During this time, she figures out more about family, connecting emotionally with people, and ending certain odd pretenses and deceptions. This is both a book about being alone in the world from birth and doing more than surviving. It is about having a compass that spins wildly and then heads true North. It is the story of imperfection and finding family and your authentic self.
February 25, 2021
Blind Pony is a heart-wrenching, engaging memoir that really keeps you reading. The book follows Sam's life from childhood that at times has magical qualities to other times devastating consequences to later in her adult life where she fights with the demons of her past to pave the way for a quite interesting life.
Hart's memoir is far more interesting than the synopsis and yet parts of her story aren't anything that is new but the way she writes it you feel very emotionally involved and wanting to know what happens. There were times I wanted to be like "why are you making this choice?" but then you remember her age and how young she was going through so many adult situations and it makes it so heart-wrenching to see that she is still a child living in a very adult world yet for someone all alone she is making it. The first part of the book is the hardest part to read because of the subject matter but is so important to her story. Once she moves to LA it gets wild. She gives lots of personality that makes you feel like you know certain subjects in her book well.
I did wonder what happened to a few of the people she encounters in her book, its not that we are owed it because she ties up her end with them it's more of a footnotes curiosity about where some of these people ended up or what their fate ended up being.
Hart has major talent and I like her voice. This is definitely a worthwhile memoir to check out.
Hart's memoir is far more interesting than the synopsis and yet parts of her story aren't anything that is new but the way she writes it you feel very emotionally involved and wanting to know what happens. There were times I wanted to be like "why are you making this choice?" but then you remember her age and how young she was going through so many adult situations and it makes it so heart-wrenching to see that she is still a child living in a very adult world yet for someone all alone she is making it. The first part of the book is the hardest part to read because of the subject matter but is so important to her story. Once she moves to LA it gets wild. She gives lots of personality that makes you feel like you know certain subjects in her book well.
I did wonder what happened to a few of the people she encounters in her book, its not that we are owed it because she ties up her end with them it's more of a footnotes curiosity about where some of these people ended up or what their fate ended up being.
Hart has major talent and I like her voice. This is definitely a worthwhile memoir to check out.
April 5, 2021
Samantha Hart’s Blind Pony is an exceptional read. I was entirely drawn in by her every word— feeling the physical and emotional pain of the abused little girl and the exploited young woman experiencing love and loss, love and loss. I did often find myself torn between wanting to reach in and hold her in my arms and, conversely, to shake her to her senses. But Samantha did it for me. She managed to endure despite the most difficult and threatening of circumstances, and to thrive by her wits and the will to provide for herself and her daughter. Ms. Hart’s memoir is a compelling story of survival, healing, and loving oneself. I highly recommend it.
May 2, 2021
Blind Pony by Samantha Hart is an intense and inspiring memoir of a young girl’s struggles. The story begins in childhood and takes the reader along with Samantha as she faces sexual abuse, homelessness, and addictions before finding herself in the enthralling and dangerous world of Hollywood. Hart does an amazing job of telling an engaging and visual story. Her descriptions of both place and emotions pull you into Hart’s world. The vulnerability of the novel is heartfelt and makes for a powerful read. It is an emotional, intense, and sometimes difficult book to read, but the hope and courage infused in this story make it an inspiring must-read. It is an open, honest, and raw tale. I would highly encourage everyone to read this tremendous story.
June 11, 2021
The true story of a runaway teen who escapes incestual sexual abuse with her grandfather and goes off searching for her estranged father in Arizona. She moved to Hollywood and got into a predatory situation. This book touches on the #metoo movement issues as we realize that people have become somewhat desensitized to talking about sexual abuse.
The book is named Blind Pony after the author's real blind pony. It became a metaphor for not being seen and heard. She built the book around the trauma she experienced as a child before she ran away at age fourteen. Throughout the book, there are mentions of her pony and her traumatic experiences with flashbacks at different points.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/sam...
The book is named Blind Pony after the author's real blind pony. It became a metaphor for not being seen and heard. She built the book around the trauma she experienced as a child before she ran away at age fourteen. Throughout the book, there are mentions of her pony and her traumatic experiences with flashbacks at different points.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/sam...
April 7, 2021
Samantha Hart came up with a wonderful book "Blind Pony: As True A Story As I Can Tell. This is such a compelling memoir. Not easy to read in the sense that some dark and heavy things are covered.do read this book.
April 5, 2021
This is such a compelling memoir. Not easy to read in the sense that some dark and heavy things are covered, but with an easy flow and unique voice that keep you turning the pages. Amongst the dark there is humor and levity. Hart’s memoir is touching, and engaging in a way I cannot describe. This is a globe-trotting story, from PA, to LA, to Europe, you’ll follow Hart on a story that will sit with you long after you’ve finished the last page.
August 2, 2021
This is an emotional roller coaster of a book as you are invited in to Sam’s life, from early childhood, through adolescence and her adult years. A young girl who experiences all of the horrors every Mother dreads, from the physical and mental abuse she endures as a child, to the continued abusive relationships she encounters through her early adulthood. But Sam is a survivor and tells her story without seeking pity from the reader. A fascinating book but not for everyone. Recommended but only to those who can handle it.
May 17, 2021
Think you had a rough childhood? Think. Again. Survivor story is too tame a label for this miraculous journey from teen runaway to successful mother, wife, and professional. Key players in Sam's life, including her parents and lovers, who should have lifted her up, often held her down.
To have to learn at the tender age of 14, that she could only count on herself, is just so young. As you read Sam's story, you can't help but reflect on how sheltered kids are today. Yes the seventies were just outrageous and i really appreciated this book's music and cultural references of that time.
This amazing life story, does make you wonder.... given how sheltered and privileged many kids are today, how will they learn ever learn to trust themselves? There are many lessons to be learned here, the most important, believe in yourself. I appreciate the courage it took to put this story in writing. Such a brave gift and wonderful time capsule.
To have to learn at the tender age of 14, that she could only count on herself, is just so young. As you read Sam's story, you can't help but reflect on how sheltered kids are today. Yes the seventies were just outrageous and i really appreciated this book's music and cultural references of that time.
This amazing life story, does make you wonder.... given how sheltered and privileged many kids are today, how will they learn ever learn to trust themselves? There are many lessons to be learned here, the most important, believe in yourself. I appreciate the courage it took to put this story in writing. Such a brave gift and wonderful time capsule.
May 5, 2021
Although this book reads like a novel it is the heart-wrenching coming of age memoir of Samantha Hart, a well known and important figure in the entertainment industry. The story begins when her dysfunctional father leaves her mother and they are forced to move to their grandparents farm in Pennsylvania. After being subjected to years of sexual abuse by her grandfather the now 14 year old Samantha decides to run away and try to find her father, however things don’t go as planned for this naive young girl. From here the story takes you on a tough and wild ride into a very adult world where against all the odds this young girl who is all alone survives.
Extremely authentic and at times dark this memoir pulled me in immediately. It was well-written and a completely emotional read that I felt every bit of this little girl’s pain and anguish but I also felt triumph with her too. I found Blind Pony to be a fascinating read, and I’m so glad I discovered it. Well worth a read for anyone looking for an emotional and involving read. Highly recommended.
Extremely authentic and at times dark this memoir pulled me in immediately. It was well-written and a completely emotional read that I felt every bit of this little girl’s pain and anguish but I also felt triumph with her too. I found Blind Pony to be a fascinating read, and I’m so glad I discovered it. Well worth a read for anyone looking for an emotional and involving read. Highly recommended.
June 28, 2021
When we first meet Pammy Sue and her daughter vignette Nicole they are are flying to Pennsylvania to retrace the footsteps of her childhood and revisit the form on which she grew up. As the book goes on we learned that her grandfather abused her until the day she ran away and her mom knew and probably her grandmother as well. We also learned that Pam is Sue is a constant liar from telling her daughter vignette every day on the way to school and her grandpa was the Marlboro man while Bill and her favorite lie to tell who is that she was just about to or just talk to her mom is waiting for her mom to get back found out her mom is sick ET see. Also, I am a Sue who changes your name to Sammy picks the wrong man from an abuser who beats her and forces her to have an abortion to the man she married who was also a liar and would lie just to get out of seeing her. This is been yet Daddy. Now that I’ve said all this let me say I found Sammy to be very optimistic and when life struck her down for the millionth time she would get back Up make a plan and do what you had to see it followed. She has the wherewithal and enough self-esteem to make a good life for her and her daughter. After all what Else would you expect from “backgammon girl“
July 6, 2021
Blind Pony is a fantastic read. The story as Pammy Sue Butter becomes Samantha (Sam) Hart is heavy on the heart but is written with honesty, humor, perseverance and inspiration.
Sam was the 4th daughter of Wild Bill and Clara, but named Pammy because that was the woman Wild Bill had an affair with. Her mom made sure she never forgot that. The story keeps coming back to the pain Sam feels with the lack of relationship and love she receives from her mother.
Clara moves the girls back to her home farm in Pennsylvania leaving Wild Bill. JD - the grandfather plays a game of "wolf" with the girls, Sam experienced many years of sexual abuse, and when her mothers see's it with her own eyes, nothing is done to save Sam.
Sam becomes a teenage runaway and living a grown up life full of sex, drugs, lavish, identity insecurities and lies. She finally becomes herself finding her "worth" while several times throughout her life she has found ways to always keep moving forward.
I had a hard time putting this book down. I definitely recommend this book, in fact I just recommended it to my bookclub as soon as I read the last page.
Sam was the 4th daughter of Wild Bill and Clara, but named Pammy because that was the woman Wild Bill had an affair with. Her mom made sure she never forgot that. The story keeps coming back to the pain Sam feels with the lack of relationship and love she receives from her mother.
Clara moves the girls back to her home farm in Pennsylvania leaving Wild Bill. JD - the grandfather plays a game of "wolf" with the girls, Sam experienced many years of sexual abuse, and when her mothers see's it with her own eyes, nothing is done to save Sam.
Sam becomes a teenage runaway and living a grown up life full of sex, drugs, lavish, identity insecurities and lies. She finally becomes herself finding her "worth" while several times throughout her life she has found ways to always keep moving forward.
I had a hard time putting this book down. I definitely recommend this book, in fact I just recommended it to my bookclub as soon as I read the last page.
June 15, 2021
An award-winning writer and producer, Samantha Hart has had a successful career in the entertainment industry, which began under the mentorship of David Geffen at his venerable record label, Geffen Records working with artists Nirvana, Guns 'N Roses, and Aerosmith.
Passionate about non-profits, Sam has developed and directed campaigns for Boys and Girls Club, A Place Called Home, Inside Out, and Participant Pictures. Her creative direction for United Way Chicago entitled Clothesline earned her the prestigious Gold Hugo Award.
Hart published, Blind Pony, in 2020. The book is a poignant memoir covering roughly twenty years of her life growing up on a farm in rural Pennsylvania which may sound like a childhood idyll. But for Sam, it was a twisted vision of pastoral family life part Faulkner part Dante. At fourteen years old, she ran away to find her father, a man she only knew as Wild Bill. Discovering he wasn't the hero she's hoped he'd be, she was on her own. Some parts of this story were hard to read as Sam talks about sexual assault, drug addition, and even physical abuse. However, this is a beautifully written story about her own life, the lessons, and strength she found along the way. The writing was very good and drew me in from the very beginning. Even the difficult to read parts were crafted very well and it was a most accomplished and compelling read.
An amazing debut memoir and a must read!
Passionate about non-profits, Sam has developed and directed campaigns for Boys and Girls Club, A Place Called Home, Inside Out, and Participant Pictures. Her creative direction for United Way Chicago entitled Clothesline earned her the prestigious Gold Hugo Award.
Hart published, Blind Pony, in 2020. The book is a poignant memoir covering roughly twenty years of her life growing up on a farm in rural Pennsylvania which may sound like a childhood idyll. But for Sam, it was a twisted vision of pastoral family life part Faulkner part Dante. At fourteen years old, she ran away to find her father, a man she only knew as Wild Bill. Discovering he wasn't the hero she's hoped he'd be, she was on her own. Some parts of this story were hard to read as Sam talks about sexual assault, drug addition, and even physical abuse. However, this is a beautifully written story about her own life, the lessons, and strength she found along the way. The writing was very good and drew me in from the very beginning. Even the difficult to read parts were crafted very well and it was a most accomplished and compelling read.
An amazing debut memoir and a must read!
June 10, 2021
This was completely different from what I expected. there were times where I forgot this book was a memoir because of all the sad events. I kept thinking it couldn't get worse... it just couldn't. I applaud the author for writing it all down. I applaud her for getting through it all and telling people her story. I understand how precious and personal it is to share, so I am in awe.
I was hooked from the start. A young abused child forced to flee her own home. She is forced to lie to people about her age because she needs to live and secure some sort of job. The book also served as a reminder as to how men tend to treat women. When I got to the end of the book, I found myself thinking about it all. That is what makes it a fantastic book. The reflection a person does.
I was hooked from the start. A young abused child forced to flee her own home. She is forced to lie to people about her age because she needs to live and secure some sort of job. The book also served as a reminder as to how men tend to treat women. When I got to the end of the book, I found myself thinking about it all. That is what makes it a fantastic book. The reflection a person does.
May 10, 2021
What an intense and eye-opening book!!! This is the kind of stories that lands with you and once you read it, there’s no going back.
This is the story of a girl who escapes the life she’s been deal with only to land in another one that completely swept her up. This new life has so many thing she never expected to live that quickly she finds herself lost in a web of lies, drugs, sex and so much more.
Just know that this story is a story of a girl who became a woman and never feared, instead she build a life with her past and became a new woman.
This is the story of a girl who escapes the life she’s been deal with only to land in another one that completely swept her up. This new life has so many thing she never expected to live that quickly she finds herself lost in a web of lies, drugs, sex and so much more.
Just know that this story is a story of a girl who became a woman and never feared, instead she build a life with her past and became a new woman.
July 21, 2021
Gripping!!! And that's to say the least! Powerful! This book had me from the first page and was read in one night!
August 6, 2021
What can you say about a memoir that reads like a novel — at times a romance; at times a coming-of-age story, and at others a horror story. Samantha Hart shares her life from a very young age to what I think might be her early 30s. Her life was never easy - named Pammy Sue for her father’s affair, she chooses to be known as Samantha, or Sam. To say she’s a survivor would be seriously underestimating the grit, determination and backbone she shows as she fights for each day. Written in first person, Blind Pony begins when she’s about 5 and she’s first molested by her grandfather. From that time until she’s fourteen, her life is hell. Then she runs away from her mother’s side of her family in Pennsylvania to her father in Phoenix. What she doesn’t know is that even though this man had invited her to Phoenix, he had no intention of caring for her. You have to admire what she’s willing to do to survive – using a borrowed ID to find a job even though she’s still in school. She graduates high school at 16 and then finds herself in LA, once again struggling to survive. She’s fortunate or unfortunate (depending on how you view what she does) that her sink or swim attitude has her meeting a series of men who introduce her to a world she definitely was not prepared for. Nevertheless, she learns from each one as she continues her climb to a better life. I could not put this book down. My admiration for Samantha grew with every page turned. I laughed, cried, raged at her ‘family’, and I do use that term loosely. But survive she does, and her story ends with her feeling her first taste of true freedom and happiness. This is not a book for the faint at heart — it will take an emotional toll on the reader—but it will be a book that will stay with you for a long time after you reach the last page. Sam says at the beginning of her book, she is ‘nobody special’, but at the end of her story, she realizes that she is ‘someone special, and I could not agree more. She’s a very special woman indeed.
August 16, 2022
This book is great as a 70’s-80’s time capsule. Otherwise there are much more well written and insightful memoirs to spend one’s heard earned money. It’s not very well written (think eager high school student) and very poorly edited. The author never seems to show any deep insight about herself or those around her. It never really rises from a simple sequential account of events and feelings at the time. I think could have been a wonderful book with a good editor and some more honest reflection on the author’s part. I think the readers reviews of the book actually much more insightful and better written than the book itself.
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