Estela, Undrowning
Written by René Peña-Govea
Published by Quill Tree Books
Estela Morales is one of the only Latinas who tested into San Francisco’s most exclusive public high school. In her senior year, Estela just wants to keep her head down, eke out a passing grade from her racist Spanish teacher, and get into her dream college.
But after placing second in the Latiné Heritage Poetry Contest behind a non-Latino student, Estela is thrust into citywide debates about merit, identity, and diversity.
Things only get messier when her family is threatened with eviction. As Estela’s friends organize against bigotry and her landlady increases the pressure, Estela is suffocating and finds release only in poetry and in a breathless new romance. When tensions finally reach their breaking point, Estela must find a way to undrown the community she loves—and herself.
Primary ISBN: 9780063429956
Publication Date: March 2026
Available As: Hardcover, Audiobook, eBook
Young Adult, Age 14 or older
Community Represented: Chinese/Chinese American, Mexican/Mexican American
Themes: Accolades & Awards, Accolades & Awards: Starred Review, Activism, Coming of Age, Cross-Group Dating, Cross-Group Friendship, Cultural Empowerment, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Celebrations & Traditions, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Identity, Cultural Empowerment & Joy: Storytelling, Discrimination: Economic, Discrimination: Language Ability, Discrimination: Racial, Education & Literacy, Format: Audiobook, Generation: 1st, Genre: Poetry, Identity: Exploration, Identity: Multilingual, Mental Health, Multilingual: Spanish Featured Words, Own Voices/Lived Experience
Setting: United States (San Francisco CA)
Character's Place in the Immigration Journey: 1st Generation
Book Creator(s) Connection to the Community Represented: Own Voices/Lived Experience
Click here for details about how we define our titles.
Engagement Projects & Resources:
Share your favorite resources for this book with info@imyourneighborbooks.org.
Engagement Materials:
Source: Quill Tree Books