Dr. Sandra E. Bonura

Dr. Sandra "Sandee" Bonura is an award-winning historian, biographer, and retired professor dedicated to unearthing forgotten stories at the intersection of California, Hawaiian, and American West history. Known for her meticulous archival research and vivid, narrative storytelling, Sandee resurrects the long-overlooked voices of visionaries, pioneers, and industry titans who shaped the modern Pacific region. She is the author of acclaimed biographies including The Sugar King of California: The Life of Claus Spreckels, Empire Builder: John D. Spreckels and the Making of San Diego, The Zoo Lady: How Belle Benchley Built the San Diego Zoo, and Light in the Queen's Garden: Ida May Pope, Pioneer for Hawai'i's Daughters. Her work regularly receives national honors—including recognition from the Eric Hoffer Book Awards—for transforming dusty historical archives into compelling, human-centered narratives. When she isn't digging through library basements or lost family letters, Sandee lectures widely on historical preservation and narrative non-fiction.