The House of My Mother (Unabridged)
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4.7 • 1.5K Ratings
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
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 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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Fans were shocked when the hugely popular mommy-influencer Ruby Franke was arrested on charges of child abuse. Now, in this heartbreakingly candid memoir, Ruby’s daughter Shari Franke shares the horrifying reality lurking behind the scenes of her family’s famous 8 Passengers YouTube channel. The eldest of six, Shari was well acquainted with her mother’s manipulation and abuse long before Ruby began vlogging about her seemingly perfect parenting. We were appalled by the punishments Ruby inflicted on her kids, from binding them with rope to withholding food to the point of malnourishment to even worse. But we were especially fascinated by Shari’s reflections on how being filmed and broadcast to millions of YouTube subscribers as a child was damaging in itself. Shari also reflects on how, despite her continued faith, her upbringing in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints led her to prioritize obedience over her own well-being. The raw, unvarnished sincerity in Shari’s narration will make this listen impossible to forget.
Customer Reviews
Shockingly powerful
This was an excellent book and better than I expected it to be. Sherri is very insightful and has very good. Takes on trauma and its impact on the child’s brain. Also, this is the first book I’ve read from the perspective of children who grew up on YouTube without their consent and I think that’s an excellent perspective to have as well. Cannot recommend this book enough.
it was good…
I thought it was really good, it told the story of shari obvi and her life with her mom. If your looking for details of like what her mom did to her youngest siblings or the whole arrest thing you may not find it here as much bc this just tells sharis story but still really good would recommend
Recommend this book
This is a greatly written book and I applaud Shari for showing the world her life. This is a good book that shows the dangers of family vlogging. I hope Shari’s efforts to make sure no child suffers the same will be heard.