The House of My Mother by Shari Franke

 

Summary (from the publisher): 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.

Review: A shocking memoir from the daughter of a viral mommy vlogger turned abuser. Author Shari Franke grew up the eldest child of six in a LDS family ruled by her mother's severe moral code. The family's daily life was documented in her family's viral YouTube channel, which had 2.5 million subscribers. As the channel grew in popularity, her mother's convictions and sense of self-righteousness continued to grow, leading to the implementation of a severe disciplinary regime. While Shari escaped to college, her younger siblings were left behind. In 2023, Shari's mother was arrested for child abuse. 

The author did such a good job of painting a picture of the household and environment she grew up in. I appreciated that she went back to before her birth to outline her parents' early years to give context. This was such an empowering read that gives the author voice and agency that she really didn't have for much of her life. 

This was such a damning indictment of the author's mother and the perils of using your children to build fame and fortune. While online the family painted a picture-perfect image, behind the scenes things were much darker. It was sad to see how little privacy the children had but also how much of their life was dictated by the need to film and document every moment. 

I appreciated that the author naturally feels very protective of her younger siblings and doesn't share their names or many of the details of their abuse, since she views that as their story to tell. I do think including some of the police report level details would have added to the reader's understanding of the full nature of the mother's abuse. I also couldn't stop thinking about the author's father! She goes a lot easier on him, but he just meekly gives in to anything his wife decided and ultimately left his children behind to be abused at her hands. He could have made a difference and chose not to. 

Stars: 4