Wise Wives was not published by a single author; rather, it is a community cookbook compiled by several women from St. Vital, Manitoba. Two churches in the area joined forces and compiled a cookbook in the hopes of raising money for their churches. Based on information provided in the 1921 federal census of Canada, we can learn a little bit about some of the recipe contributors. The first, Mrs. A. (Agnes) Followell, gave three recipes for the book. She and her husband, George, were both born in England and then immigrated to Manitoba. Followell was approximately 28 years-old when the cookbook was published in 1925. 

Another contributor was Mrs. Knowles who, along with two other women, contributed the recipe for Vegetarian Potted Meat. Her full name was Levina Victoria Knowles. When the cookbook was published, Knowles was already a mother to five children who ranged in age from 13 to a 1 year-old. Both of the women were from District 21 in Manitoba. The attached photo was taken at the corner of  St. Mary’s Road and St. Mark’s Place in St. Vital, circa 1920, just metres away from where the two churches stood.