Vanessa De Carvalho
Vanessa De Carvalho is a Canadian mother of three who lives in Tauranga with her Kiwi husband. Before motherhood, she taught in different countries overseas. In 2023, she completed a Master of Creative Writing through the Auckland University of Technology. When she isn’t at Playcentre or running her oldest two to after-school activities, she can be found writing… about motherhood. Her writing has been published in anthologies: The Mums’ Poet Club Zine (2020), Tauranga Writers’ Byline (2022 and 2025), and The Little Munroe Lit (May 2024). The Mother Hood is her first published novel.
Genre:
- Fiction
Skills:
Branch:
Hamilton
Location:
Tauranga
Publications:
The Mother Hood
Coming May 2026
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Let’s meet in The Mother Hood – because we were never meant to do it alone.
What happens when motherhood isn’t what you expect? When it’s not instinctual and feels impossible to handle on your own?
Saffi, Lena, and Violet’s friendship is a source of comfort as they navigate the daily joys and frequent trials of early motherhood. They rant over lukewarm coffee at the playground. Their group chat is a never-ending stream of questions. But behind the supportive emojis and shared snacks, each woman is quietly unravelling.
Saffi struggles to balance work, family, and her relationship—until an unexpected attraction forces her to confront what she truly wants.
Lena, a stay-at-home mother of one, yearns for more children. Her growing envy impacts who she is as a parent, partner, and friend.
Violet cruises through pregnancy only to be blindsided by the isolating fog of postnatal depression, struggling to bond with the baby she thought she was ready for.
The friendship has survived despite the women’s differences, but will they support each other as their challenges intensify? Or will the village they’ve built start to crumble?