René Peña-Govea
Teacher-librarian and debut YA novelist whose book Estela, Undrowning follows a Latina teen navigating elite public school pressures, college admissions, and housing insecurity in San Francisco.
Best podcasts with René Peña-Govea
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Mar 6, 2026 • 55min
Local YA Novels Tell San Francisco Stories
Susie Nadler, a school librarian and debut YA author of Lies We Tell About the Stars, and René Peña-Govea, a teacher-librarian and debut novelist of Estela, Undrowning, talk about crafting San Francisco as setting and character. They discuss housing insecurity, elite school pressure, earthquake aftermath, poetic voice, censorship, and why YA matters to young readers.
