Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller

From the eldest child Shari Franke, the “heart-wrenchingly personal…dizzying” (Rolling Stone) true story behind the viral 8 Passengers family vlog and the hidden abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother, Ruby Franke, and how, in the face of unimaginable pain, she found healing.

Shari Franke’s childhood was a constant battle for survival. Her mother, Ruby Franke, enforced a severe moral code while maintaining the facade of a picture-perfect family for their wildly popular YouTube family vlog, 8 Passengers, which documented the day-to-day life of raising six children for a staggering 2.5 million subscribers. But Ruby’s wholesome online persona masked hidden abuse and a more tyrannical parenting style than anyone could have imagined. As the family’s YouTube notoriety grew, so, too, did Ruby’s delusions of righteousness. Fueled by the sadistic influence of life coach Jodi Hildebrandt under her cultish program ConneXions, together they implemented an inhumane and merciless disciplinary regime.

Ruby and Jodi were arrested in Utah in 2023 on multiple charges of aggravated child abuse. On that fateful day, Shari shared a photo online of a police car outside their home. Her caption had one word: “finally.”

No stone is left unturned as Shari exposes the perils of mommy influencer culture and shares for the first time her battle for truth and survival in the face of her mother’s cruelty.