Books Historical Fiction

An Unlikely Prospect

November 6, 2025November 6, 2025 by onemoreexclamation

Welcome to An Unlikely Prospect by Shelley Blanton-Stroud book tour hosted by Suzy Approved Book Tours.

About An Unlikely Prospect

Title: An Unlikely Prospect

Author: Shelley Blanton-Stroud

Released: August 19, 2025

Find it: Amazon

In the jubilant aftermath of Japan’s surrender in World War II, San Francisco erupts in celebration. But for Sandy Zimmer, the 32-year-old widow publisher of the Prospect newspaper, the victory revelry masks a darker truth. As the city rejoices, eleven deaths and six rapes unfold in the chaos of the VJ Day Peace Riot.

Driven by journalistic integrity and battling her own instincts to maintain peace, Sandy directs her paper to investigate the riot. Her quest for truth pits her against formidable adversaries: her controlling civic leader father-in-law, the newspaper’s resistant board, and authorities desperate to bury the scandal as they vie to attract the United Nations Headquarters to San Francisco.

Based on little-known historical events, “The Unlikely Prospect” follows Sandy’s fight to find her voice in the male-dominated world of 1945 journalism. As she navigates power dynamics, gender roles, and the steep price of printing the truth, Sandy must confront her own transformation from a people-pleasing widow to a determined publisher willing to challenge the status quo.

Book Blurbs

“Blanton-Stroud brings vibrant life to the chaos and confusion that crises herald, and spotlights how, in such times, the right thing to do is not always apparent.”—BookLife Reviews

“…a well-paced, edgy tale…a salute to solid, honest journalism.”—Kirkus Reviews

“Centering the dizzying misogyny of the postwar era, An Unlikely Prospect is a revealing historical novel” that “moves at breakneck pace” —Foreword Clarion Reviews

“If only today’s legacy publishers had Sandy Zimmer’s steel in the face of lies and injustice.” — Gretchen Cherington, author of The Butcher, the Embezzler, and the Fall Guy

“Speaks with power and purpose on the perpetual struggle for women to be respected leaders in a male-dominated world. Masterful, believable, and riveting.”—Debra Thomas, author of Luz

“Sandy Zimmer faces an untenable challenge—to confront the powerful in favor of the vulnerable, when she has so little likelihood of winning; or to do what the establishment she desperately desires to lead, Zimmer’s is the challenge we will all face one day, and she gives us hope we can do it.”—Ashley Sweeney, author of The Irish Girl

Review for An Unlikely Prospect

An Unlikely Prospect offers a compelling and well-researched glimpse into the challenges faced by women in journalism in 1945. Through Sandy’s determined pursuit of truth in a male-dominated industry, the novel examines power dynamics, gender inequality, and the moral cost of publishing what others wish to hide. As she investigates crimes that unfolded amid post–World War II celebrations in San Francisco, Sandy emerges as both a symbol of resilience and a reminder of how far society has—and hasn’t—come. A fascinating, thought-provoking read that blends history, integrity, and courage with remarkable precision.

About The Author

Shelley Blanton-Stroud, daughter of Dust Bowl immigrants, grew up in California’s Central Valley. Recently retired from teaching writing at Sacramento State University, she continues consulting with energy industry writers. She has served as President of 916 Ink, a children’s creative writing nonprofit, and sits on the Board of Advisors for Claremont McKenna College’s Gould Center for Humanistic Studies. Her historical mystery series featuring cross-dressing San Francisco columnist Jane Benjamin includes Copy Boy, Tomboy, and Poster Girl. Her latest novel, An Unlikely Prospect (She Writes Press, August 2025), explores the little-known 1945 V-J Day San Francisco Peace Riot through a widow publisher’s story.

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