We’re excited to be giving away two copies of The Mother Hood by Vanessa De Carvalho to our GrownUps members!
To be in the draw, simply make sure you’re a GrownUps member, signed up to our newsletter, and fill in your details at the bottom of the page.
Let’s meet in The Mother Hood – because we were never meant to do it alone. Vanessa De Carvalho’s debut novel is perfect for fans of Sophie Kinsella and Marian Keyes.
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 life becomes ever more challenging? Or will the village they’ve built start to crumble?
Author Note
‘I wrote The Motherhood because I felt there was a lack of representation of day-to-day motherhood in fiction. There is a lot of poetry, memoir and essays on the topic of motherhood, but not so much in fiction. We can read about characters whose motherhood is a detail in passing, mothers who are solving their child’s kidnapping or mothers who are waiting by their sick kid’s hospital bed… but where are the mothers who are struggling to keep on top of their laundry mountain, to get their children out of the door on time, or to find some sort of balance in their lives? Where are the mothers like me? This is the book I wish I had read as a new mother.
One of the characters (Violet) gets diagnosed with Postnatal Depression. I was also diagnosed with it (after I had finished my manuscript), but I’d had enough struggles with mental health at that point to know we still need to have conversations about it to release the stigma behind it.
Motherhood is hard enough as it is. It looks different for everyone. Many of us are parenting without the village of support we hear so much about. I wanted to show that while there are different ways of parenting, no one way can work for every family. For the most part, parents are trying their best. I wanted to show that our ability to empathize and support one another should be the norm. The differences should be respected, not judged. Just because someone does it differently, it doesn’t mean it’s wrong.’
About the Author
Vanessa De Carvalho is a Canadian teacher and author who speaks four languages: Italian, Portuguese, English and French. She spent a decade teaching overseas in Germany, Italy, Vietnam and Tanzania. In 2021, Vanessa moved to beautiful Aotearoa, where she lives in Tauranga with her Kiwi husband and three children aged 2, 6 and 7. The Mother Hood is her first published novel.
You must be logged in to enter this competition.
Not a member? Join now
Terms and conditions
-
-
You must be a GrownUps member and subscribed to our newsletter to be eligible to enter.
-
The competition closes on 27th May 2026. Winners will be notified via email by 28th May 2026.
-
It is your responsibility to provide a correct New Zealand postal address for prize delivery. GrownUps is not responsible for prizes sent to incorrect addresses.
-
Winners will be drawn at random by the GrownUps administration team.
-
GrownUps employees and their immediate families are not eligible to enter.
-
By entering, you agree to GrownUps using your name on social media as a winner of the competition.
-
One entry per household.
-
The prize is non-transferable and cannot be exchanged for cash or other items.
-
You must reside in New Zealand, as the prize can only be delivered within New Zealand.
-
You must be over 50 years of age to enter. Please ensure your membership details are up to date in your dashboard.
-