Everyone thought they knew the Frankes. For years, 2.5 million subscribers tuned into 8 Passengers to watch what looked like the gold standard of suburban Utah parenting. But when the front door finally closed, the "perfect" Ruby Franke became a different person entirely.
The Ruby Franke daughter book, titled The House of My Mother: A Daughter’s Quest for Freedom, isn't just a memoir. It is a blunt-force trauma of a read. Written by Shari Franke, the eldest of the six children, it hit shelves in early 2025 and immediately tore the lid off the "mommy vlogger" industry.
Honestly? It's a miracle Shari wrote it at all.
Beyond the Camera: What the Ruby Franke Daughter Book Actually Reveals
People expected gossip. What they got instead was a chilling autopsy of how a family falls apart under the weight of "ConneXions" and cult-like manipulation. Shari doesn't hold back. She describes her childhood as a "constant battle for survival" while the world watched a filtered version of her life.
Basically, the book confirms our worst fears.
The narrative shifts from the early days of family vlogging—which Shari admit was actually fun at first—to the arrival of Jodi Hildebrandt. That’s when things went south. Shari describes Ruby as someone who was already prone to "rages" and "perfectionism," but Hildebrandt acted like gasoline on a fire.
The Myth of the "Sudden" Change
One big misconception is that Ruby Franke just "snapped" one day in 2023. Shari’s book corrects that.
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According to Shari, the seeds were there long before the cameras started rolling. She details incidents from her early childhood, like being hit for making mistakes while practicing the piano. Ruby viewed motherhood as a performance and her children as props.
When the YouTube money started rolling in, the power dynamic in the house shifted. Shari writes that her father, Kevin, retreated into the background while Ruby took total control. It was a slow-motion car crash.
Why Shari Franke Called Her Memoir a "Horror Story"
If you’ve followed the news, you know about the arrests in August 2023. You know about the ropes and the malnourishment. But the Ruby Franke daughter book dives into the psychological warfare that preceded the physical abuse.
Shari uses the term "spiritual cannibalism."
She talks about how she was eventually cut off from her family during college. She was "disowned" because she wouldn't fall in line with Hildebrandt’s extreme teachings. The book details her life as a student at BYU, trying to navigate a world where her mother was a famous villain and her siblings were essentially being held captive.
The chapter titled "Jingle Hell" is particularly hard to stomach. It recounts the twisted holidays and the way Ruby and Jodi convinced the younger children they were "evil" or "possessed." It makes you realize that the 30-year prison sentence Ruby is serving might not even be enough to cover the emotional damage.
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The People Who Actually Saved Her
Shari doesn't give her biological parents the titles of "Mom" and "Dad" in the book. She refers to them as Ruby and Kevin.
Instead, she credits a new "Mom and Dad"—her former high school math teacher and his wife, the Haymonds. They are the ones who took her in when she had nowhere to go. It’s a powerful reminder that family isn't always about blood. It's about who shows up when your world is burning.
The Problem With Family Vlogging as a Career
This book is a massive middle finger to the entire family vlogging industry.
Shari is now a vocal advocate for banning the practice. She argues that there is no such thing as "informed consent" for a child. How can a six-year-old agree to have their tantrums, their first periods, or their punishments broadcast to millions? They can't.
Shari points out that Ruby would actually pay her more to film certain videos, like one about bra shopping. At the time, Shari thought it was great. Now? She sees it as exploitation.
"We wouldn't need to ban family vlogging if people just stopped watching it," Shari writes.
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It's a tough pill to swallow for anyone who clicked "like" on an 8 Passengers video five years ago. We were the audience. We provided the incentive for the performance to continue.
What's Next for Shari and the Siblings?
Since the book's release, Shari has stayed busy. She's finishing her degree and working with lawmakers to create protections for children of influencers.
The siblings are still healing. That’s a long road.
The Ruby Franke daughter book concludes with a sense of guarded hope. Shari says she is proud of who she has become "in spite" of her mother. She doesn't plan on ever seeing Ruby again.
Actionable Insights for Concerned Consumers
If you’re moved by Shari’s story and want to help prevent more cases like this, here is what you can actually do:
- Audit your subscriptions. Unfollow channels that feature "prank" parenting or use children’s distress for views.
- Support legislation. Look into bills like those proposed in Illinois or Washington that aim to give child influencers a share of the earnings and the right to have their content deleted.
- Prioritize privacy. If you’re a parent, think twice before posting identifying information or vulnerable moments of your own kids online.
- Read the source material. Pick up The House of My Mother to understand the nuances of the ConneXions cult and how to spot similar red flags in other online communities.
The era of "unfiltered" family vlogging is dying, and books like Shari’s are the reason why. It's a heavy read, but it's an essential one for anyone living in the digital age.