Enid Swerdferger Mallory was born near Ottawa, Ontario, and attended Queen’s University before becoming a social worker. After she and her husband moved to Kawartha Lakes country to start a family, her interest in regional history led to a new career of writing and storytelling. Mallory has written for Reader’s Digest, Canadian Geographic and The Beaver, and her previous books include The Remarkable Years: Canadians Remember the 20th Century, Close to the Earth: Have Your Garden and Eat it Too, Over the Counter: The Country Stores in Canada and Coppermine: The Far North of George M. Douglas. She resides in Peterborough, Ontario, with her husband, Gord.