Seattle, 1945. The war is
ending-but for many, the hardest battles are just beginning.
In a city transformed by global conflict, four families
struggle to find their place amid rising tensions, buried prejudice, and
shifting identities. Victory overseas has brought hope, but at home, fear,
suspicion, and inequality continue to shape everyday life.
A female defense worker, newly awakened to injustice,
risks everything as she steps into the dangerous world of labor
activism-threatening not only her future, but the safety of those she loves. A
decorated Black war hero returns home expecting honor and opportunity, only to
face a different kind of battlefield, where racism and exclusion deny him the
freedoms he fought to defend. A Japanese American, released from internment,
discovers that the end of war does not mean the end of hatred, and that
rebuilding a life in a community that no longer trusts him may be the greatest
challenge of all. A hopeful British war bride arrives chasing the promise of a
new beginning, only to learn that the American dream is complicated, fragile,
and not equally shared.
As labor strikes ripple through the city, racial tensions
simmer, and the first shadows of Cold War hysteria begin to take hold, Seattle
reveals itself as a place both beautiful and deeply divided. Old prejudices
harden even as new voices rise, demanding change.
This powerful, emotionally charged novel strips away the
myth of an open and enlightened city, exposing the human cost of exclusion and
the quiet courage of those who refuse to accept it.
A sweeping story of
resilience, identity, and the search for belonging-welcome to the City on the
Sound, where no one is quite sure where they belong.
Praise:
“Just a great read and anyone who picks it up is guaranteed to learn a thing or two: from Guadalcanal to local labor disputes.”
~ Mr. K, Amazon 5* review
Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/38o1n7
David J. Jepsen is a historian, writer and educator teaching Pacific Northwest and U.S. history at Tacoma Community College. His novel about racial and labor conflicts in Seattle following WW II, titled Unbelonging, was released in April 2026.
He was the lead author of Contested Boundaries: A New Pacific Northwest History (John Wiley and Sons, 2017), and he wrote and directed the award-winning documentary Labor Wars of the Northwest, nominated in 2019 for Best Feature Film Made in Washington by the Gig Harbor Film Festival.
David writes a weekly post for the Washington State Historical Society titled “This Day in Washington.” He holds a master’s degree in history and a bachelor’s in communications from the University of Washington.
He lives with his wife, Jackie, in Gig Harbor, WA.
Author Links:
Website: https://davidjjepsen.com/
Facebook account: https://www.facebook.com/david.j.jepsen.2025/
Facebook author page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61569571076494
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/djjepsen
Historium Press author page: https://www.historiumpress.com/david-jepsen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-jepsen-386b5b14/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15496682.David_J_Jepsen
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