On October 14, Shari Franke announced the publication of her memoir, “The House of My Mother.” The book hits shelves on January 7, 2025, following the sentencing of her mother, Ruby Franke.
Who is Shari Franke?
Shari is the eldest daughter of Ruby and Kevin Franke, the parents and creators of the now-defunct YouTube vlogging channel 8 Passengers. The channel offered a peek into the lives of the Franke family, raising six children in Utah.
The channel was a hit among its fans, providing insight into a traditional Latter-day Saints home while also sharing the parents’ sometimes unconventional approaches to parenting.
Outside of her social media platform, Shari is a senior at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. She majors in political science.
Her Mother’s Sentencing
On September 1, 2023, news broke that the Franke’s youngest son had escaped his home and ran to a neighbor’s home to seek food and water. In the heartbreaking Ring doorbell footage and 911 call, it is revealed that Ruby had duct taped her son’s wrists and dressed his wounds with honey and paprika.
Ruby, along with Jodi Hildebrandt, the family’s therapist, was arrested immediately. It was also revealed that her husband, Kevin, was estranged from Ruby, along with Shari and their eldest son, Chad.
The family initially received scrutiny in 2019 for sending Chad to the infamous Anasazi Camp in Arizona. Upon his time at the extreme wilderness camp, the family sought a therapist, which is how they met Hildebrandt.
On February 20, both Hildebrandt and Franke were both sentenced to up to 30 years in prison. The child abusers plead guilty to four prison terms, including six counts of aggravated child abuse, which is a second-degree felony in the state of Utah.
What Can be Learned from Shari Franke?
Upon announcing her memoir, Franke posted on social media that she recently spoke at the Utah House of Representatives to address the dangers of family vlogging.
Franke voiced her concerns regarding vlogging, especially since Utah is home to many family vloggers. She gave a personal testimony about her childhood and adulthood being emotionally and physically exploited by her family’s channel.
Some families decide to vlog their daily lives to preserve memories without thinking about the welfare of their children and possibly harming them both emotionally and psychologically.
Despite the hardships that Shari and her family experienced, she is passionate and adamant about making a difference to end family vlogging for good. Vlogging isn’t just a way to get a platform; it also has potential detrimental factors that do more harm than good.
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