Molony Featured in California Short Story Anthology

The 2021 summer anthology, Stars In Your Family, published by the Southern California Genealogical Society, features Rousseau family historian, Janelle Molony’s, short story contribution about Miss Sarah Jane Daglish, her g-g-g-grandmother. The short story highlights a hilarious series of true events from the life of her ancestor and novel muse, Sarah Jane Rousseau (surname Daglish).

Mrs. Rousseau is the main protagonist in Molony’s upcoming novel based on an 1864 Oregon-California Trail diary. The novel-in-progress, From Where I Sat, is receiving positive reviews from Beta readers, drawing the attention of Civil War and Wild West fans, and growing a following on social media @RousseauProject. This year, because of her writing and research work in the genre, Molony was accepted as a member of the premier literary society, Western Writers of America.

Sarah Rousseau. Photo courtesy of family records.

Short Story Teaser

One day, Victorian immigrant, Sarah Daglish, faced a determined suitor who had followed tales of her remarkable beauty and talent, then rejected her at first sight. A quieter man who stood beside the suiter that day saw this as his chance. Years later, the second-best couple would hear how the tables had turned and the former suitor would stand, hopeful to be chosen by the people he loved… only to receive a brush-off that would cost him the vote in a momentous election.

“With a total of seventy-seven stories, you’ll meet famous stars like Houdini’s greatest rival, Australia’s “Golden Contralto” and the family who helped launch Louis Armstrong’s career, but most of our family stars have nothing to do with show business. Instead, they are soldiers, music lovers, aerospace innovators, and hard-working women and men who kept their families going after tragedy struck.”

Book description from the Southern California Genealogical Society

Bonus Inclusion!

Martha Nasch: The woman who claimed she couldn’t eat or drink for seven years!

Also featured in the new release is a short story by co-author of the new Seven Years Insane book project, Jodi Decker, that details the struggles of unrequited love and the unintended consequences of emotional grief. Seven Years Insane follows Martha Nasch, a German immigrant from the Depression-Era, into an asylum during a time of deplorable mental healthcare practices.

The new novel is based on a telling poetry collection written by Martha Nasch, herself, while in confinement. The poetry anthology is soon to be published as Poems From The Asylum. Stay tuned for updates on social media @SevenYearsInsane.

Where to Purchase

The full short story anthology is available for purchase on Amazon. Additional information and updates on the release can be found on the SCGS’s Facebook Page or by visiting SCGSGenealogy.com.

Or, for a downloadable excerpt of the Rousseau story (plus the BONUS March Nasch story), scroll down.


Explore the people and events in Rousseau diary even further in month-by-month stories. Click here to start reading “A Day In The Life…”

About the author:

Janelle Molony, M.S.L. is the g-g-g-granddaughter of Dr. James and Sarah Rousseau (sur. Daglish). She is the authoritative family historian, an award-winning novelist, and freelance journalist. Molony is currently authoring From Where I Sat, a fictional novel based on the Pella Company, with the generous support of fellow wagon train descendants and several historical societies stretching from Pella, Iowa to San Bernardino, California. More info on Molony and the upcoming book can be found at www.JanelleMolony.com/Rousseau or on Facebook and Instagram @RousseauProject.