Synopsis -
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 -
Most of us today are immersed in social media - vlogging, blogging and posting. But how many of us realize what it was like when this new technology first arrived on the scene, a new medium offering financial rewards. The web can be a great tool if used wisely, but devastating if not. For the author it was traumatic.
Franke's mother was one of the first to put her family on their very own Youtube channel - the original reality TV.p show. She quickly became obsessed with the fame and the money. Every child was recorded relentlessly and nothing was too private to share. She ruled them with an iron fist and punished them severely if they didn’t fall in line. When the mother connected with questionable relationship coach Jodi Hildebrand, things quickly spiralled downward. There are hints of mental health issues and child abuse that grow throughout the book. While Franke finally made her escape, and had supportive friends to help her along the way, she was unable to get authorities to act on behalf of her younger siblings, at least until things came to a crisis point. When the truth came out, it was even worse than expected.
This book has a lot to say about the dangers of having your personal life shared online, by someone who experienced the worst of it. I found myself drawn in and struggling to put it down. The insight shared still has relevance today. And to limit your exposure is now harder as we are always surrounded by people with cell phones ready to expose you without consent. Kudos to those parents who walk away from the temptations of money and celebrity, and limit their kids exposure on the web. Everyone deserves their privacy, especially those too young to know what that means.
Buy the Book: Amazon CA ~ Amazon US
Meet the Author -
.jpg "Shari Franke Author HEadshot")
In her memoir, The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom, the author shares openly about the horrific abuse she suffered as a child at the hands of her mother - a “malignant narcissist."
Connect with the author: Instagram
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