“Estela, Undrowning” Centers Teen Activists — and Helped Author René Peña-Govea Heal (Exclusive)

**René Peña-Govea Launches Debut Novel ‘Estela, Undrowning’**

René Peña-Govea has officially released her debut young adult novel, *Estela, Undrowning*, on 3 March. The author explores themes of identity, activism, and the complexities of adolescent life, drawing heavily from her own experiences as a teenager. In a recent interview, Peña-Govea, 41, expressed the emotional turmoil she faced while crafting the narrative, stating, “There were times where it was really emotional and it felt like I was rewriting the past.”

The story follows Estela Morales, a high school student at the prestigious Robert Frost High School. As she navigates her senior year, Estela becomes embroiled in a heated debate surrounding the school’s diversity and inclusion policies after a poetry contest for Latiné Heritage Month ends with a non-Latiné student emerging as the winner. This pivotal moment ignites conversations about representation and equity within the school and the broader community.

Peña-Govea’s own high school experience resonates through the character of Estela. Attending Lowell High School, a magnet school in San Francisco, the author contended with issues of diversity during her time. The year she began, a court ruling caused a dramatic decrease in racial diversity, an experience that shaped her perspectives on equality in education.

This fascination with activism was further ignited after her return to the school system as an educator, where she witnessed her students using their voices against adversity. “I had a student who was nominated to be the student delegate at the San Francisco School Board and she and another student actually pushed to change that school’s admission policies,” Peña-Govea recounted. “I was really inspired by their activism.”

Despite *Estela, Undrowning* being her first foray into novel-writing, Peña-Govea has always been creatively inclined, immersed in a family legacy filled with artists and activists. With a background in music—having played the accordion in her family’s band—she found writing to be a more introspective outlet during her teenage years. “Music was very externalising… Writing was where I turned when those emotions were too strong and too private,” she explained.

The novel also sees Estela grappling with the realities of applying to college, forming new relationships, and the gentrification challenges facing her community. Influenced by renowned Spanish poets such as Federico García Lorca and Pablo Neruda, Peña-Govea infused elements from her own high school journals into the narrative. She described the poetry as a means for Estela to navigate her emotions and engage with pressing societal critiques.

Tensions build throughout the book amid the evolving discourse on merit and inclusion, leading to complications in relationships and attitudes among Estela and her peers. Peña-Govea intended to highlight the multifaceted nature of individuals and how their experiences with marginalisation can influence their viewpoints. “I wanted to highlight the complexity of people and how their ideas can stem from ways that they’re also feeling marginalised,” she noted, advocating for empathy even towards those who may seem antagonistic.

As the narrative unfolds, it reflects not only a tribute to Peña-Govea’s hometown but also acknowledges the pressing social issues confronting communities, such as housing insecurity. “It’s a very emblematic struggle in San Francisco… there’s a lot of housing insecurity and developers trying to get people out of their houses,” she added, underscoring the urgency of these themes in today’s climate.

Peña-Govea, now a middle school librarian, is keenly aware of the potential of young adult literature to address difficult topics facing youth today. “For YA, there’s a kind of an urge, at least within me, to offer something to young people as an empowering tool,” she remarked, underscoring the significance of literature in promoting social awareness.

With ongoing debates surrounding diversity in education and the restriction of diverse voices in literature, Peña-Govea recognises the timely nature of her novel. Reflecting on the personal journey throughout the writing process, she confessed, “I learned that I still needed some healing from high school… writing this book, there were times where it was really emotional.”

Yet, while *Estela, Undrowning* revisits the past, it is firmly focused on the future, emphasising the capacity of young people to effect change. “There’s real-world examples of teens making change all over the world,” Peña-Govea remarked, highlighting the significance of cooperation among diverse groups in overcoming challenges.

*Estela, Undrowning* is now available for readers, and Peña-Govea’s journey demonstrates how literature can serve as both a reflection of personal experiences and a catalyst for social change.