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A review by fionamclary
The House of My Mother by Shari Franke

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

4.0

I strongly recommend this memoir to anyone who has concerns about the repercussions of family channels and the monetization of online content containing children. I had been generally aware of the Eight Passengers channel and its disturbing content long before the arrest of Ruby and Jodi, so it was enlightening to get the full story from someone at the center of it all. Shari is an amazingly strong woman, and her commitment to her siblings is admirable. Although the chapters that chronicled the aftermath of the arrests felt less narratively cohesive, likely due to their recency, overall this memoir presents a thorough and alarming picture of childhood in front of a camera, rife with mental health struggles, abuse, and cult dynamics.

I share the critiques that others have already expressed: Shari's downplaying of her father's role abetting Ruby's abuse, especially in the early days, and her continued connection to the church that both fostered the toxic environment of her childhood and enabled the older man who groomed her in college. But at the end of the day, I just hope that this family is okay, and I trust that the Frankes themselves can give the best assessment of that. It does seem that Shari has developed a faith that is more personal and less centered on the institution of the church, which is promising. I also have a feeling that we will continue to hear from her in the future as she makes her way advocating for the rights of children online. I wish her and her 5 siblings all the best.
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