The eldest daughter of the infamed 8 Passengers family, Shari Franke, published her memoir “The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom” on Jan. 7. In an incredibly inspiring story showcasing her resilience, Franke reveals the truth about the abuse she suffered alongside her siblings at the hands of their mother.
Popular YouTube channel 8 Passengers followed a seemingly picture-perfect couple, Kevin and Ruby Franke, as they raised their eight children in Utah. Their vlogs showcased the family’s day-to-day routine, focusing on Ruby and Kevin’s “no-nonsense” parenting style. Having started in 2015, their vlogs quickly went viral and gained 2.28 million subscribers over the next few years.
However in June of 2020, many of 8 Passengers’ once loyal subscribers became skeptical of Ruby and her parenting style after her oldest son Chad revealed he had his room taken away for seven months in one of their vlogs titled “What We Haven’t Told You.”
Alongside her business partner, life coach Jodi Hildebrant, Ruby Franke shared parenting advice aligning with her Mormon beliefs. Many viewers were alarmed when the two began to share teachings viewed as “cult-like” to some clients, encouraging authoritative and indifferent behaviors towards their children.
In August 2023, Ruby Franke and Hildebrant were arrested with child abuse charges after two of Franke’s children were found appearing injured and in a severe state of malnourishment. Because Kevin Franke had moved out in July of 2022, he was not held responsible or arrested for the abuse the Franke children suffered.
Since their arrest, the family has kept the details of Franke and Hildebrant’s case private until publishing “The House of My Mother”
In her memoir, Franke shares how she was subjected to physical and emotional abuse at the hands of her mother her entire childhood. She discusses her struggles with mental health through high school and how her mother prohibited her from seeing a therapist.
After Shari Franke left to attend college, she continued to struggle mentally as her parents began to distance themselves emotionally and financially. Franke explains how a well-respected member of their church was someone she could confide in. However, their relationship quickly took a turn for the worse as he began to sexually abuse and stalk her.
On top of being distanced from her family and sexually abused, Franke’s mother eventually forbade her from seeing her siblings and father. The unimaginable pain and helplessness Franke described feeling during this time is gut-wrenching to read.
However, Franke showcased her admirable resilience as she did everything in her power to try and save her younger siblings from the abuse her mother was imposing.
“The next few weeks were a blur of DCFS [Department of Children and Family Services] agents and lawyers; they even talked about bringing a forensic psychologist on board,” Franke writes.
It wasn’t until one of her siblings escaped to a neighbor’s house that the police finally had grounds to execute an arrest on Ruby Franke. She pleaded guilty to four counts of aggravated child abuse, earning herself 4-30 years in the Utah State Prison.
Franke ends her memoir by promoting the eradication of family vlogging.
“They deserve to be given back the choice that had been stolen from them for so long,” Franke wrote, explaining why she would not write about or discuss the abuse her siblings experienced.
The bravery Franke displays through telling her harrowing story is admirable, along with her advocacy for legislation protecting child influencers.
In an interview with Rolling Stone, she shared what she hopes publishing her memoir will achieve.
“I hope that, by writing this, child influencers will see that their voices matter and that it’s worth whatever bridges they might burn,” Franke said.
