Character Analysis
Joan Slaterton is Ed's older sister. When Min meets her for the first time, "Joan [is] dancing in the kitchen with her eyes closed, partnered with a wooden spoon." Min regards her with what can only be described as a platonic girl crush. "Chopped piles were everywhere on the counter," Min continues. "Ed, your sister is beautiful amazing, tell her that from me" (13.8). Yup, classic platonic girl crush.
While Joan and Min get along really well—they share a lot of common interests, including cooking and film studies—Joan keeps her distance. It turns out that this is because she knows about Ed's infidelity. Joan tries to give Min a heads-up, but Min, who's usually sensitive and observant, can't—or won't—read the writing on the wall. For more on this, be sure to swing by Min's page in this section.
When Min finds out about Ed's treachery, Joan's silence stings. "Ed, it's ridiculous, but I loved her too," Min writes. "And could goddamn kill her for not saying something. Though what she could have said that I could have heard I cannot for the life of me see" (32.48). We don't know much about Joan—she's not central to the plot—but one thing's for certain: She's stuck between a rock and a hard place in this book.