RAE: A Child's Story

by Serena Baker, Sadie Coverz (Illustrator)

How does a child survive when the world looks away?



Rae was only a little girl when her world began to fall apart. The people who were meant to love and protect her turned away, leaving her to face abuse, silence, and fear on her own.



In search of comfort, she found only more pain. Drugs, shame, and loneliness became part of her childhood. Yet somewhere inside, a small light kept burning, refusing to go out.



A Child’s Story is a survival story told with honesty and courage. Blending the voice of a child with the depth of literary autofiction, Serena Baker captures what it means to grow up too soon and to fight for hope in the aftermath of trauma.



This is not just Rae’s story,it echoes the reality of many children who are unseen and unheard. For readers drawn to coming-of-age memoirs, books about childhood trauma, and contemporary women’s fiction, this story is both haunting and uplifting.


Even in the darkest places, a child’s voice can rise.

154 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2025

About the author

Serena Baker makes her debut with RAE, a raw and tender coming-of-age story told across three stages of one woman’s life. Beginning in childhood, the series traces Rae’s journey from a bright but vulnerable girl to a young mother and, ultimately, a woman fighting to shape her future.

Serena Bakers work explores resilience, survival, and the complicated ways love and loss shape us. She began writing Rae’s story as a way of giving voice to experiences that are often hidden, and it quickly grew into something larger, a journey through memory, hope, and what it means to find light in difficult places.

When she isn’t writing, Serena spends time with her family, drawing inspiration from the small, everyday moments that carry the weight of a story. She believes deeply in the power of storytelling to connect people, to open conversations, and to remind us that even the hardest truths can be told with courage.

Reviews

[ChloeRachel1305 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Written very well. Tells the hard story of some of the harsh realities some children go through. A difficult read for some, you feel so much for Rae as she gets ripped from home to home.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think that the book was heartbreaking
And that it was really a good by book by the words that was so lonely
I had an ARC

[Abby Bromwich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart wrenching. This type of story is always hard to read, but the author did a great job of bringing her life experience to this book.

[K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a heavy read for me. Reading a story from a child's POV is one thing but the depths the writer went into with this was heartbreaking. To read this story and think of how many other children in this world are living lives like Rae tore at my hearts string. This story will have you on an emotional rollercoaster all the way to the end.

Thank you Serena Baker for the eARC. This review is that of my own.

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

RAE: A Child’s Story is an exceptionally powerful and moving read that remains with the reader long after the final page. By telling Rae’s journey through the perspective of a child, the author brings an unfiltered authenticity to the pain, fear, and isolation she endures. This viewpoint makes the experience not only emotionally gripping but also profoundly affecting, as the vulnerability and resilience of a child are rendered with striking clarity.

The narrative is both heart-wrenching and compelling, written with remarkable sensitivity and professionalism. The author has an extraordinary ability to evoke empathy, allowing the reader to feel the depth of loneliness, hurt, and unspoken struggles between the lines.

While at times difficult to read due to the raw subject matter, RAE: A Child’s Story is a profoundly important book. It sheds light on the silent battles many children face, reminding us of the urgent need for awareness and compassion. This is a story that not only resonates but lingers, leaving a lasting impression of both heartbreak and resilience.

[Brittany T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reading this book felt like getting kicked in the stomache, that feeling where you cant breathe and the hurt just coils in your chest. It was gut wrenching, reading this from a childs perspective and seeing everythingthat she went through,heartbreaking. The book was written and depicted so well that you could feel the pain, the hurt, the loniless, between the pages. The author did an amazing job honestly its just one of those stories that you read and it hangs with you, when you realize just how many children are actually going through the same things as we speak, with no one, no one listening, no one seeing! This was a hard read but a very very good book!

[Michelle Walter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is written from a child’s POV. The writing is delicate and powerful. A little girl born to a drug addicted mother. Always starving. Unloved. She eventually ends up in foster care. By the age of 6, Rae knew way too much about neglect, poverty, and loss. Just when Rae thought things were looking up for her, they fell apart again. No one should have to endure the trials and tribulations Rae experienced beginning in her childhood and lasting through her teens. This is the first book of a trilogy, I will be impatiently awaiting the next two books to find out how Rae’s story unfolds. Highly recommend.

[Stefanie Verhelst · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all I want to express my deepest respect towards the author for bringing such a pure and raw story the way she does.

It was both hard and touching to read this story, I’m sure it will stay with me for a very long time. The cover is also perfectly chosen. It is a fact that we should be more aware of the fragility of a child, especially the ones born in a situation without a protective and warm nest.

This book is a must read for everyone who doesn’t want to look away.

Many thanks for giving me the chance to read this book as an ARC.

[Hannah Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I instantly got hooked on this book. It was absolutely gripping from start to finish. It's a very good read.. the type of book that makes you feel like you are living the story as you read it.. the experiences and feelings. I did not want it to end and am VERY excited for the next one. Such a brave thing to put your own personal traumas into a story but it's so very well done. Thank you for this story!

[Melodie Falek · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rae was a devastating story told from the child’s POV. From dealing with her single mom, poor, hungry and neglected. To being tossed around the system from one foster home to another. When she thinks she finds true happiness and love from a family, she gets ripped from them and moves on over and over again from disappointment and abuse to the next. Heart wrenching and devastating. This is book 1 of 3 and I cannot WAIT for the next one.

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve never been someone to read books, I could never concentrate or get hooked until I read this book! As soon as I started reading I wanted to carry on and find out more, was always intrigued in what happened next and I ended up reading the whole book in one night! I 100% recommend reading this book but have your tissues ready!

[Augustina Martinez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This reading journey was incredibly emotional, heartbreaking, and powerful. Rae’s journey, told from a child's perspective, amplifies the pain, fear, and loneliness in a way that feels incredibly real and visceral. The author’s exquisite writing brings a poignant story to life through the eyes of a child. This book is truly a powerful literary work that you won't want to miss.

[Delilah Snyder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc review

This was such an emotional experience with this read it was written so well that it was such a powerful telling of a sad story coming from a child’s perspective and it was so raw feeling and it was just captured so well , this book is a coming of age , literary fiction.

[Amy Sadd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely a five-star read. There were times I got lost and had to go back a couple pages to figure out where I was or to check a timeline but the information in the book is absolutely incredible. I couldn't put it down. I will definitely want to read Parts 2&3.

[Rhonda Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great story. I was pulled in from the start and could not get enough of Rae. I could feel her pain as I was reading the story. Anxious to see if there is a second part to see what happens to her. I received an early copy and am leaving my honest review.

[Lenette Otis · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a page turner that grabbed my attention from the very beginning. Reading it from a child's point of view is heart wrenching.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story broke my heart! It’s well-written, heart-wrenching, and so descriptive. I really want to continue this story.

[Haykay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved it! The writing kept me hooked from start to finish

[Amanda Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story pulled me in so quickly. Very moving and heartbreaking. Makes you realize what some kids have to deal with when in the system.

[LaRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a but of a tear jerker. So sad that many children have to experience the foster system and neglect. I love Rae's string spirit. This book does not end but will continue in the next book. I'm anxious to find out how Rae handles this next chapter of her life.