The House of My Mother: A Daughter's Quest for Freedom
Shari Franke
Jan 2025 · Simon and Schuster
4.5star
32 reviewsreport
Ebook
320
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About this ebook
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 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 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.
Ratings and reviews
4.5
32 reviews
Ashleigh Stevens
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January 12, 2025
How amazing and strong-willed Shari is! Her story is no shorter than incredible, the willpower it took her to navigate the life given to her in such a way as she handled every situation that arose is just amazing. So thankful for her for sharing her story. That took strength, for sure, and I know her story as ubsurb and abnormal as it sounds, there are definitely others out there right now that are in similar circumstances and this story may give them the courage to keep going and follow though just the way Shari has and eventually have a better outlook in the end, and know that this too shall pass because at the end of the day, those kids won, so happy they are safe, and Ruby is right where she belongs! Also, very well written, bravo Shari.
Daniel Berele
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January 14, 2025
scared of social misconstrued ideas in the volume and badly behavior in mother
Anna Slays
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January 23, 2025
very well written, must read if you were an 8 passengers fan
About the author
Shari Franke is the eldest daughter in the Franke family. She is a student at Brigham Young University.
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