The 1970s recession in America was a complex event caused by a combination of factors, including an oil crisis in the Middle East, high inflation, monetary policy decisions, and labor market issues. These factors combined created a challenging economic environment that led to an economic downturn and financial uncertainty in America’s working class. By 1971, unemployment rates reached a 10-year peak at 6%. While the Ramona novels do not directly address the 1970s financial crisis, Beverly Cleary’s portrayal of the Quimby family’s circumstances offers insight into the effects of economic turmoil on families, emphasizing themes of resilience, adaptation, and the value of family support.

The four books in the Ramona series that were published during the 1970s and early 1980s—Ramona the Brave (1975), Ramona and Her Father (1977), Ramona and Her Mother (1979), and Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1981)—are shaped by the Quimby family’s experiences with financial instability. In Ramona and Her Father, Mr. Quimby loses his job, forcing Mrs. Quimby to work outside the home to support the family. The family faces the peril of financial pressure at the worst time of the year: the holiday season. Yet Ramona pledges to trade all her gifts if her family can only have peace and joy for Christmas.