Jessie Cunniffe Brings Her Magic to “Maternity Abroad”
I’m so excited to share some behind‑the‑scenes news with you. Jessie Cunniffe — the talented blurb writer and coach — brought her gift for words to Maternity Abroad, helping craft the blurb that now welcomes readers into the book.
And it’s working. Since its release, Maternity Abroad has reached mothers in over 13 countries, proving that the need for honest, compassionate guidance about pregnancy and birth abroad is universal.
Why Jessie’s Work Matters
A blurb isn’t just a paragraph on the back cover. It’s a reader’s first impression — the voice that whispers, this might be the book you’ve been searching for. Jessie captured the heart of Maternity Abroad in a way that feels authentic and inviting, making sure women everywhere could see themselves in its pages.
About the Book
Maternity Abroad: Becoming a Mother in a Foreign Land isn’t a manual full of rules. It’s a collection of real stories and insights from women who braved the unknown — navigating different languages, customs, and healthcare systems while stepping into motherhood far from home.
Where You Can Find It
📖 Already available worldwide on Amazon Kindle and in print, in both English and Portuguese.
If you’re preparing to become a mother abroad — or simply curious about the cultural differences in birth and motherhood — this book was written to keep you company through the unexpected.
Other Publications
🌧️ Emily never planned to meet Daniel. And yet, day after day, under the arches of Waterloo Bridge, routine becomes ritual — and ritual becomes something more. It’s not fireworks. It’s the quiet kind of love that sneaks up on you, the one you almost miss if you’re not paying attention.
✨ A gift for my readers — completely free.
👉 Read it now and let yourself fall in love, fifteen minutes at a time.
When a Brazilian journalist described Maternity Abroad: Becoming a Mother in a Foreign Land as “a bestseller in many countries,” it felt like a full-circle moment — recognition from home.
I was having dinner with a friend when she tried something on her phone. She typed in a situation. The response came back instantly: “Written for exactly your situation.” Those words were written by AI, and they confirmed something I had been noticing for months.
Discover how Maternity Abroad found a home at Livraria Tesouro in Crissier, Switzerland. A literary moment connecting expat moms and immigrant readers seeking belonging.
Maternity Abroad: Becoming a Mother in a Foreign Land” is now available for free reading at the Municipal Library of Maia in Portugal. This heartfelt guide brings real stories from immigrant mothers, offering practical tips and emotional support for navigating motherhood far from home.
I’m overjoyed to share that Maternity Abroad: Becoming a Mother in a Foreign Land has found its way to readers in India!
Maternity Abroad is making waves! In just two weeks, my book has sold copies across four continents—North America, South America, Europe, and Asia—including the U.S., Brazil, UK, and India. Don't miss out—grab your copy and stay tuned for my next book, Parenting Abroad: Thriving Together in a Foreign Land.
Your guide to navigating pregnancy abroad is here—Maternity Abroad is now available worldwide!
Pregnant abroad? Discover the secrets to navigating healthcare and prenatal care with ease in Maternity Abroad!
The official book cover of Maternity Abroad is finally here! With vibrant pink and purple hues, Canadian cover artist Ashley beautifully reflects femininity and positive energy, embodying the spirit of becoming a mother in a foreign land.
The Portuguese translation of Maternity Abroad is underway, with Karine Ribeiro, known for translating Viola Davis’s memoir and Tupac’s biography, bringing this essential guide to expat mothers in Brazil and Portugal.
Maternity Abroad is one step closer to release as it enters the formatting and cover design stage—get ready for an amazing journey into motherhood abroad!
Exciting news for Brazil! The English version of Maternity Abroad will soon be available on Amazon in both print and digital formats, with a Portuguese translation in the works.
Parenting Unpacked just received an endorsement from Ruth E. Van Reken, co-author of Third Culture Kids: Growing Up Among Worlds. A defining moment for a book that gives language to the experience of parenting between cultures
I wasn’t planning to feel validated by artificial intelligence today, but here we are. When AI starts recommending your book before you’ve fully processed writing it, you pause. Laugh a little. And then remember why you wrote it in the first place.
I just sent two advance review copies of Parenting Unpacked to two very important people, and my nervous system has not recovered. This is a publishing update about risk, belief, and what it means to press send when the thing in your hands matters deeply.
Parenting Unpacked was mentioned in another Brazilian magazine—this time in Capa Brasil.
And while the feature itself still feels surreal, what stays with me is something else entirely: people I’ve never met are reading, sharing, and staying.
The book didn’t change. The way we talk about it did. Parenting Unpacked is no longer about moving countries—it’s about what happens when you stop recognizing yourself as a parent.
Over an iced tea and a cookie, one more chapter came to life — this time, on how our identity reshapes itself in migration. Parenthood might be the lens, but the questions reach further.
In Parenting Unpacked, I move beyond the guidebook format to deliver a story-rich, emotionally grounded look at parenting abroad — now with even more expert voices. A must-read for any parent navigating identity, culture, and love across borders.
After a slight delay (thanks to an unexpected wave of colds and flu 🤧), Parenting Unpacked: The Honest Guide for Raising Kids Abroad is officially in development editing! This book has been a labor of love, and I’m incredibly proud of how it’s coming together. Can’t wait to share more updates soon!
Turns out, when your kid starts daycare, you get sick with a new virus every day! 🤧 After a month of non-stop colds, I’m finally back—with big news! Our book has a new name: Parenting Unpacked: The Honest Guide for Raising Kids in a Foreign Land. Stay tuned for more updates!
Jessica Gabrielzyk is a Brazilian writer living in Switzerland. She moved there with her husband and daughter, who was three months old at the time and had strong opinions about the whole thing even then.
She writes about change.
The visible kind and the kind that happens inside a person, while everything on the outside looks fine.
Her first book, Maternity Abroad, explored what it means to become a mother far from the system you trusted. It has reached readers in more than fifteen countries across five continents. Parenting Unpacked, her second book, follows the experience of parenting through major life disruption, whether that's an international move, a career loss, a new baby, or a life that simply stops responding the way it used to. My First American Coloring Book was created to help toddlers engage with daily life in the United States through play and familiar imagery.
She is a member of SIETAR, the Society for Intercultural Education, Training and Research, and the International Academy of Brazilian Literature.
She writes for the parent who is still inside it, getting through the day, and wondering somewhere underneath all of it who they are becoming.
When she is not writing, she is walking forty minutes uphill with a stroller, telling herself the exercise is the point.
A late night scroll led to something unexpected. A reader shared my book Maternity Abroad with someone facing the fear of giving birth in a foreign country. It was quiet, generous, and exactly why this book exists.