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The House of My Mother

The Sunday Times bestselling memoir about a daughter's quest for freedom

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The House of My Mother

By: Shari Franke
Narrated by: Shari Franke
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About this listen

 From eldest daughter Shari Franke, the shocking true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog – now the subject of a new Disney+ 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. Abuse Child Abuse Dysfunctional Families Entertainment & Celebrities Parenting & Families Relationships Religious Studies Women's Voices Inspiring Heartfelt Thought-Provoking
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So beautifully written and presented. It was wonderful to hear the story from Shari’s perspective.

Incredible Bravery

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shari Frankie you are so strong thank you for sharing your story . it would of been so hard reliving it as you rewrote it

how strong she was

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Shari, you are a beautiful inspiration!
I need to make this more than 15 works but my first sentence says it all.

Absolutely amazing!!!!

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I live in a country far from Shari, but even I had heard about this family once being on social media and how her mother was abusive and how she ended up in court. Life was tough for Shari, but from all the negativity the one good thing about all those embarrassing family videos her mother openly shared publicly was all the sound evidence it produced. So many children are badly abused in secret by the adults in their family, only to have no evidence and the abusers to not be punished and no justice served at all because of lack of evidence. Videos like this can expose red flags and alert the public of possible child abusers. I can understand Shari’s desire to avoid media and all the attention her past draws, but I hope Shari realises that her past is not just a discussion topic for many, that instead so many people genuinely care about her and her siblings and had unanswered questions. These questions are mostly answered in Shari’s book. So many can learn a lot from her book, and it is going to also help and educate many people. I hope Shari can find some comfort in that. Religion has a lot to answer for as well, as it conditions, programs, and brain washes people from a young age that they have roles to hold. In general women must get married and have as many children as possible and to spare the rod you spoil the child, and so forth… I love the name of her cat “Muppet”! It’s so very cute! Muppet is a word freely used in Australia, but with a different and light hearted meaning. I admire Shari’s loyalty to her siblings by not wishing to explain their sides of the story. Shari also narrated her audio book perfectly, her tones and pitches leaving no doubt to the meaning of her sentences and her feelings. Very well written. A 5 star story. Well done Shari!

When family videos shared publicly produces evidence…

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I liked the fact that Shari was able to get the therapy she needed that enabled her to work through her traumas sufficiently to be able to write about what she and her family went through. I feel sure this book will help others who have suffered abuse in childhood to know they are not alone and that there is a way out.

A truly heart-rending family history spanning many years of abuse.

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