The 1864 Diary of Mrs. Sarah Jane Rousseau is receiving some wonderful attention from readers, experts, awards committees, publishing professionals, and more! Read more about the book at the official page by clicking here.
BookFest 2023
Janelle Molony is a winner of a 3rd Place Award at The BookFest Awards Fall 2023 for
the book(s) titled The 1864 Diary of Mrs. Sarah Jane Rousseau. The book is honored in the History category. The BookFest honors authors who create outstanding works of fiction and nonfiction. The BookFest’s mission is rooted in the belief that literature has transformative power and, in a desire to support and celebrate those who create it.
Desireé Duffy, Founder of The BookFest, says, “I am delighted to announce Janelle Molony as a winner of The BookFest Awards. This year’s competition was exceptional, and Molony should be very proud of this outstanding accomplishment.”
The BookFest recognizes and promotes excellence in literature and elevates authors and creatives who contribute outstanding work to the literary world. For more information about The BookFest Awards and to see the list of winners, please visit the Awards Page on The BookFest website.
San Bernardino County Museum
(Winter, 1958)
“The Rousseau Diary will be especially interesting to all teachers and stuidents of the Westward Movement.” -Gerald A. Smith
RoundUp Magazine
This book is in true diary format… Daily trepidations concerning food, terrain, illness, encounters with other travelers, especially Indian Tribes and unpredictable weather are mentioned.
-Sandy Whiting (April 2024)
RoundUp is a publication of the Western Writers of America. Learn more about this organization here.
National Federation of Press Writers
(2024 Literary Contest, Learn more about the NFPW here.)
(Comments Forthcoming)
The Oskaloosa Herald
(June 19, 2023, read the full article here)
It was a journey that would bring the Rousseaus into contact with pivotal figures, including early Mormon president Brigham Young, Paiute Chief Kanosh, the John Brown family of Harper’s Ferry infamy and Nicholas Earp, father of the well-known lawman Wyatt Earp. … A dedicated diarist who witnessed such pivotal events in history as the American Civil War, Sarah’s inner perspective of life in frontier American life captured Molony’s attention and inspired her to edit her ancestor’s work so that it can be read as a compelling glimpse into the national story.
The Journal of Arizona History
(Winter, 2023)
Sarah recorded the entire journey from start to
finish in extensive and descriptive daily diary entries. Molony, Rousseau’s third great-granddaughter, faithfully transcribed the complete diary from the original manuscript in her family’s possession, adding only occasional annotations.
The 1864 Diary of Mrs. Sarah Jane Rousseau provides a valuable day-by-day account of what it was like to cross the continent overland in the middle of the nineteenth century.
– AZ Journal of History (Winter 2023)
San Bernardino Sun
(March 21, 2022, read the full article here)
“Of the hundreds of first-hand accounts by pioneers traveling west during the 19th Century, one of the most eloquent is a diary written by Sarah Jane Rousseau, a woman traveling by wagon train from Iowa to the San Bernardino Valley.”
– San Bernardino Sun
From Susan Marie Malloy,
Author of The Stars Do Not Judge
(August 1, 2023, read the full review here)
One of the points that makes this diary enjoyable and believable to read is that the editor left all that Sarah Jane Rousseau wrote, including misspellings, grammatical missteps, and only bracketed the occasional comma or period to make reading clear.
Sarah Jane Rousseau writes about the simple occurrences during the trek from Iowa to California, and points out the camaraderie, arguments, fights, deaths, and a birth. We also learn that she saw Brigham Young and in her wagon train was Nicholas Earp.
Pamela Greenwood, Curtis Family Descendant
(July, 2007, see the full write-up here)
This was a harrowing seven month trip with three pregnant women and many small children, and an arthritic invalid (Sarah Jane) made during the last year of the Civil War. … Nicholas Porter Earp is the most problematic person on the trip, from Jane’s point of view. Wyatt Earp was sixteen when he made this trip. In later years, he claimed to have provided Buffalo meat to the wagon train with his first gun, which his father had given him before their start. Sarah Jane does not appear to have received any of Wyatt’s largess.
…One is struck by the uniqueness of Sarah Jane’s situation. First, she is invalided and thus spared much of the daily drudge of chores discussed by many. She says she was “almost useless” at the beginning of the trip and by the end she says she “can help a little.”
Sarah Jane is meticulous in counting each day’s mileage. Twenty five miles is a good day. Jane never misses a day, and is remarkably factual in her reporting. She notes earthquake activity, volcanic activity, and problems with quick sand in the rivers. Like other women she is knowledgeable about which grasses are best for the stock animals. Noting the weather conditions and the passing scenery are in every diary written by women on these trips. However not many travelers had a “marine glass” for their amusement and safety.
What’s Next?
- Order a signed copy of the book here.
- Check out the companion book, Emigrant Tales of the Platte River Raids!
- Hire Janelle Molony yo speak at your next function. Submit your event details through the contact page.