This young novelist is modernizing bookshelves through her powerful stories with women at the forefront

California Live’s Jobeth Devera sits down with Kyla Zhao, a 26-year-old Stanford graduate who spends her days working as a data analyst and her nights crafting change-making chapters. Her novels, centered around women and girls of color fighting to carve their place in male-dominated spaces, have earned her a Forbes 30 Under 30 honor and recognition from the California State Assembly. Check out her latest book May the Best Player Win, which Zhao describes as a family-friendly version of The Queen’s Gambit.