The House of My Mother by Shari Franke @sharilfranke @sharilfranke.bsky.social @simon.audio @simonaudio.bsky.social @librofm @libro.fm #TheHouseOfMyMother

the setup…
Shari Franke is the eldest of her six siblings, the daughter of infamous Ruby Franke, the woman behind the former wildly successful YouTube channel 8 Passengers parenting vlog. Ruby was charged and convicted last year of aggravated child abuse and is currently in prison. Shari shares her personal relationship with an emotionally abusive mother and how she emerged and survived. Look to other sources (I urge you to do so) for the details of what Ruby Franke and Jodi Hildebrandt, her partner in crime, perpetrated on this family.

the heart of the story…
It’s important to distinguish Shari’s abuse from that of her younger siblings who experienced severe physical abuse after she left home. From her earliest memories, Shari never felt the warmth and affection most children expect and receive from their mothers. It worsened after the vlog was launched and gained traction, with Shari experiencing a different relationship with Ruby on camera. It’s also a strange brew of Ruby’s narcissistic approach to parenting couched in values of the Mormon practices that helped justify her perspectives. It’s remarkable that Shari was able to rise out of this with the clarity that she was being emotionally abused. Where was her father Kevin during this time? Great question.

the narration…
I prefer to listen to a memoir in the author’s own voice, even if they’re less skilled at the storytelling. While it felt like Shari Franke was reading, I could still hear her when she was relating those aspects she felt most deeply. I’m glad I listened.

the bottom line…
I strongly appreciated that this was Shari’s insights without exploitation of her mother and siblings. Her emotional growth from childhood to adulthood is nothing short of miraculous given her circumstances. While I think she’s still got a long road to travel, especially with her forgiveness of a father I find questionable and her continued participation in the Church of Latter Day Saints (Mormon) that was a contributor, she’s doing the work and her insights will evolve. In the meantime, I’m just happy she survived the madness.

Book Info

• Release Date: January 7, 2025
• Narrator: Shari Franke
• Audio Length: 7 hours, 9 minutes
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

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(Thanks to Simon & Schuster Audio and Libro.fm for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.)