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4.31 AVERAGE
4.31 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
fast-paced
dark
emotional
informative
sad
medium-paced
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
medium-paced
dark
reflective
fast-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Physical abuse
challenging
dark
reflective
medium-paced
I watched Devil in the Family: The Fall of Ruby Franke before picking up Sheri Franke’s The House of My Mother, and the book was every bit as captivating and emotional as the documentary, if not more.
What drew me in was Sheri’s deeper dive into life inside the Franke household. Reading her perspective, how she was manipulated by the very person who was supposed to love and protect her, was heartbreaking but also eye-opening. Seeing Ruby’s downfall not from the outside, but through the eyes of one of her victims, added a powerful layer that made me reflect even more on the long-term damage abuse can cause.
Sheri opens up about the emotional and mental toll of her mother’s psychological abuse, showing how it impacted her later relationships, including her struggles with Derek, who took advantage of a broken girl. Yet none of this stopped her from continually fighting for the safety of her siblings. She shows such growth, finding strength not only within herself but also in the Haymonds family who truly supported her.
One of the most moving aspects of the book was seeing how, despite everything, Sheri’s faith remained intact. She begins and ends her story with gratitude to God, a reminder of the resilience that carried her through.
As someone who consumes a lot of documentaries and true crime podcasts, what stood out most to me was Sheri’s choice to protect her siblings. She deliberately kept their identities, their trauma, and their injuries private, not for her own benefit, but for theirs. She leaves them the choice to tell their own stories someday, rather than exploiting their pain for attention or sales. That decision alone showed how different from Ruby she really was.
I’m glad Sheri and her siblings are safe now, and I deeply admire her courage, faith, and determination. This book isn’t just a memoir—it’s a testament to survival and the strength it takes to break a cycle of abuse.
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While I could potentially get behind a cult mentor that convinced women to leave their loser husbands, Jodi obviously went crazy-and-a-half with her devastating abuse and manipulation. Side note: It’s *almost* comical how fast men would jump ship and leave their families in the hands of an unlicensed, YouTube famous “professional” when given the sign from god (or whatever tf it was). A lot of men, truly, ain’t shit.
It amazes me that Shari could still hold onto any semblance of faith after everything she witnessed and experienced, under the guise of religious sanctity.
It amazes me that Shari could still hold onto any semblance of faith after everything she witnessed and experienced, under the guise of religious sanctity.
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced