Monetary situation

[anotherBob]

In SYWTBAW, it is noted that Nita hadn't gotten a bike for her birthday because they just didn't have the money to do so: "I thought I was going to be able to earlier, but I couldn't." (p 26 paperback version). However, in DW, they are on a small two-week vacation to a beach house (about 65 miles away) but one would assume a beach house would be expensive for the beginning of summer.

In this book, on the third page, it states that it had "been a good year" as "her father had said a couple of months before". Also, it stated at the very end of ch 9 that she had been practicing wizardry for two months.

So unless they redid the books and found a lot of money suddenly, there seems to be a problem with money.

Bob

[dorotheia]

Yeah, I noticed all references to that had disappeared. Not on a tight budget anymore, I guess. Maybe Harry's business expanded? He mentioned that he had an assistant, in WAW, who had to be taken to the hospital (hence Nita couldn't reach him). Although I would expect that would make money troubles for a while, with the initial expenses.

Maybe a sign of changing times? A more prosperous middle class? Internet service gave Harry a boost? *shrug* Well, the timeline in YW isn't exactly consistent. That's what I chalked it up to.

Joanna (or whatever-her-name-was, with the nice bike Nita wanted) seems to have disappeared too...

[SpacePen]

economy and technology

perhaps the economy keeps pace with the technology in this series. Which is to say, whatever year it is here in our Primary reality when Duane is writing the books, the technological and economic resources available in our Primary reality at that time can be injected into the Secondary (YW) reality. Thus, automatically compressing however many years' worth of scientific & technological advances AND economic cycles have passed in our Primary reality between Duane's writing of each book, into however much Secondary (YW) time has passed between books.

So the economy can go through compressed boom/bust cycles faster than it normally would, thus allowing a bad year to be turned around within a matter of months, similar to how one can go from "color tv" being the nice new technology to wizPods within a couple of years.

[hal9001]

Maybe it was the PTB helping out

It could be that the PTB helped out by making Nita's father's business better so she would be at the shore and ready to help with the Song of the Twelve. The need to pay off the Blank Check Spell could cause lots of interesting effects. That is not the first time when they have caused things to occur so Nita is in the right place to do a job (Look at WA and WH for examples).

[NitaEmmaYW]

i say some days one should not dote on too many little details

[EricG1793]

I've never considered this inconsistency. However, being that Harry is a self-employed florist, perhaps his job and income depend on the season; earlier in the year might be rough since there might be less social events occurring that call for a flower arrangement, meanwhile the house and the shop need to be heated. Then, as spring progresses and turns to summer, business picks up and they have more money coming in.

My dad has worked in sales and has been self-employed most of my life, and let me tell you, what a roller coaster!

[Caitlin]

It's also (I believe) never stated what the beach house is. Is it a rental? Or does it belong to a friend/family member who let them stay because they needed a vacation? If that's the case, then the trip will be really quite inexpensive. A 45 minute drive and you can take all the food with you, and Harry can run back home to the shop with relative ease if anything happens? It's the perfect setup for a vacay for a family where things might be a little bit tight.

[Tuttle]

I was thinking the same as Caitlin here - I don't assume that vacation means money, especially with seasonal employees. They have enough friends that there are ways it easily could be that they did a low budget trip. The Callahans were not presented as a completely disconnected family, or a family who only knew people in poverty.