The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom
INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
“Heart-wrenchingly personal…dizzying.” —Rolling Stone
From eldest daughter Shari Franke, the shocking true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog—now the subject of a new Hulu docuseries—and the hidden abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother, and how, in the face of unimaginable pain, she found freedom and healing.
Shari Franke’s childhood was a constant battle for survival. Her mother, Ruby Franke, enforced a severe moral code while maintaining a façade of a picture-perfect family for their wildly popular YouTube channel 8 Passengers, which documented the day-to-day life of raising six children for a staggering 2.5 million subscribers. But a darker truth lurked beneath the surface—Ruby’s wholesome online persona masked a more tyrannical parenting style than anyone could have imagined.
As the family’s YouTube notoriety grew, so too did Ruby’s delusions of righteousness. Fueled by the sadistic influence of relationship coach Jodi Hildebrandt, together they implemented an inhumane and merciless disciplinary regime.
Ruby and Jodi were arrested in Utah in 2023 on multiple charges of aggravated child abuse. On that fateful day, Shari shared a photo online of a police car outside their home. Her caption had one word: “Finally.”
For the first time, Shari will reveal the disturbing truth behind 8 Passengers and her family’s devastating involvement with Jodi Hildebrandt’s cultish life coaching program, “ConneXions.” No stone is left unturned as Shari exposes the perils of influencer culture and shares for the first time her battle for truth and survival in the face of her mother’s cruelty.
“Heart-wrenchingly personal…dizzying.” —Rolling Stone
From eldest daughter Shari Franke, the shocking true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog—now the subject of a new Hulu docuseries—and the hidden abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother, and how, in the face of unimaginable pain, she found freedom and healing.
Shari Franke’s childhood was a constant battle for survival. Her mother, Ruby Franke, enforced a severe moral code while maintaining a façade of a picture-perfect family for their wildly popular YouTube channel 8 Passengers, which documented the day-to-day life of raising six children for a staggering 2.5 million subscribers. But a darker truth lurked beneath the surface—Ruby’s wholesome online persona masked a more tyrannical parenting style than anyone could have imagined.
As the family’s YouTube notoriety grew, so too did Ruby’s delusions of righteousness. Fueled by the sadistic influence of relationship coach Jodi Hildebrandt, together they implemented an inhumane and merciless disciplinary regime.
Ruby and Jodi were arrested in Utah in 2023 on multiple charges of aggravated child abuse. On that fateful day, Shari shared a photo online of a police car outside their home. Her caption had one word: “Finally.”
For the first time, Shari will reveal the disturbing truth behind 8 Passengers and her family’s devastating involvement with Jodi Hildebrandt’s cultish life coaching program, “ConneXions.” No stone is left unturned as Shari exposes the perils of influencer culture and shares for the first time her battle for truth and survival in the face of her mother’s cruelty.
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Community Reviews
I was pretty surprised I’ve only recently heard of this story, considering how recent it is, but I watched the Hulu docuseries on Ruby and it had me mind boggled. I knew I had to read Shari’s story when I saw it and even though I knew the outcome, it still shocked me. This story is sad and crazy but unfortunately the themes are most likely not as uncommon as we may hope. I am amazed by Shari’s strength and courage despite everything she’s gone through and I’m glad she was able to speak out about her perspective. This is definitely worth the read but make sure you’re aware of the story (at least a little) before diving in because it covers some heavy topics that could be triggering to a lot of people.
Shari discusses her childhood and growing up in a home broadcasted in YouTube with an emotionally and physically abusive mother hiding behind the facade.
This was very well written and Shari even narrated the audiobook. It was powerful to hear her voice describing what she, her siblings, and family went through behind closed doors while the Ruby Franks crafted a false narrative of a loving home.
I could relate to Shari a lot, having also survived a narcissistic and emotionally abusive mother. This was a hard one to listen to, but also therapeutic in a way to see someone as strong as Shari also come out the other side.
4.5 stars
I knew nothing about Shari Franke or her mother Ruby's YouTube channel and I was not familiar with this story. I think that made this book even more powerful. I listened to the audiobook (I can't resist a memoir narrated by the author). I found this book to be incredibly well written and insightful, especially considering how young Shari is and how recent her trauma was. Shari explicitly states that the book contains only her own experiences and doesn't go into the details of the abuse of her minor siblings. I hope that Shari continues her healing journey and is able to one day acknowledge the role that the LDS church played in her trauma.
I knew nothing about Shari Franke or her mother Ruby's YouTube channel and I was not familiar with this story. I think that made this book even more powerful. I listened to the audiobook (I can't resist a memoir narrated by the author). I found this book to be incredibly well written and insightful, especially considering how young Shari is and how recent her trauma was. Shari explicitly states that the book contains only her own experiences and doesn't go into the details of the abuse of her minor siblings. I hope that Shari continues her healing journey and is able to one day acknowledge the role that the LDS church played in her trauma.
4.5⭐️
This was heartbreaking. Hearing Shari's point of view on everything was just gut-wrenching. Knowing the kids were so young and being forced in the public eye while enduring so much behind camera...it makes you really think about family vlogging differently. The abuse Shari went through both in and out of her home is something no one should have to go through.
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