Rachel Duda

Rachel Duda is an author, poet, and photographer whose work explores the terrain of parenting, intergenerational trauma, and human connection. She began writing about eight years ago, and that path has since grown into a body of work that blends memoir, poetry, and practical guidance for families navigating difficult histories. In addition to her writing, Rachel has spent years behind the camera as a freelance and event photographer, capturing everything from high school sports to nonprofit galas.
Her memoir, Bending Together, Building Together, chronicles the experience of raising her son through trauma and intergenerational cycles. The book has won two awards and was named a finalist for Author of the Year. She has since published a poetry collection, and is now co-writing Learning Each Other's Language with her son — a book focused on communication and boundaries that draws directly from their own relationship and growth together.
Rachel's work is rooted in the belief that people find their footing not by conforming to expectations, but by understanding who they truly are — and, for parents, by extending that same understanding to their children. With two more books in progress and a growing interest in speaking and community-building for parents from traumatic backgrounds, she continues to expand how she reaches and supports others through storytelling.