Billie’s feelings about Joan are complicated. What aspects of Billie’s life play into that relationship? What did you think about Joan’s treatment of Billie?
Billie was desperate for a close companion, someone she could talk and confide to and she hoped that Joan would provide that kind of friendship for her. But Joan was not a good person and treated Billie terribly. I don’t know why no one else in the family saw this bad side of Joan.
I was so angry at how Joan treated Billie. It was typical bullying behavior towards kids who seem “different”.
Joan was dismissive at times, a bully at times, and a crappy person to Billie most times. I kept thinking that the author would reveal an insight into Joan’s behavior. How did she become this way? Was she abused? Was this her “natural” personality? Billie wanted to be recognized and liked. That’s all. Joan was not the kind of person who saw this in Billie. Joan was all about Joan.
Joan was a bully, but she had one big advantage over Billie. She lived in Wiley all year and knew everyone there. Billie was only there one month in the summer and didn’t have maturity to grow each year. Billie was shy and even more important had no self confidence. The relatives didn’t help her at all.
I agree that Joan was awful, even abusive, to Billie. And Billie just wanted someone to be a close friend. I found the dynamics of this relationship extremely sad and upsetting.
Joan’s treatment can feel dismissive or even cruel at times, especially because Billie doesn’t always grasp the social nuance behind it. It highlights how vulnerable Billie is in relationships where expectations aren’t clearly stated.
Joan was one of the “popular kids” in town and maybe Billie thought that with Joan as her friend, she could be part of that group. Was Joan’s sexual contact with Billie just her being abusive? Or was there more to it? It seems like the author didn’t follow through with that whole episode or did I miss it?
Billie needed a friend, but Joan wasn’t it. Joan was very cruel at times to Billy.I agree with others who said she was a bully.
Joan took advantage of Billie in all ways. She was not a nice person.
I agree with the other readers about how awful Joan behaved toward Billie. She knew Billie craved a friend/close companion and took advantage. Joan certainly sent mixed messages and this confused Billie about her feelings.
I’m no fan of Joan’s for all the reasons others have already mentioned but I wonder if she was bullied and abused by others & Billie was the only person she felt superior to. The incident with the kittens indicated she was responsible for their deaths, which is a sign of abuse in a child or perhaps she had psychopathetic tendencies. The other cousins just ignored Billie but Joan went out of her way to be cruel, which I feel was an obvious sign of some unresolved emotional and/or personality issues. Billie just didn’t have the skills to deal with Joan’s behavior–most kids don’t.
I, too, suspected Joan had to have been abused in some ways. Her behaviors were not normal.
I do agree with all the others that Joan was a bully and took advantage of Billie.
Looking back on mine and my daughter’s childhood friendships,…girls can be mean and two-faced. I always told my daughter to never confide in anyone unless you want it printed on the front page of the newspaper
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I think Joan was abusive to Billie and just mean. Joan may have experienced abuse herself, but it was never revealed. Billie was so desperate to feel known, and she thought Joan was one of her smarter family members. Billie was hopeful that Joan would understand her. I think Joan’s advice to Billie to go to college and become an expert at something was the one instance that Joan said something useful and kind to her.
Billie was almost desperately looking for a connection, a kindred spirit, someone who she could trust and feel accepted. She thought she had found that with Harriet, but felt deserted after Harriet’s parents moved away. And she really hoped Joan would be the older family member who would make her fell like she belonged. Joan, however, cynically used Billie, the event on the roof being the ultimate tease, and treated Billie as a know nothing lower form of life who was norhing more than an inconvenience. Billie was definitely alone
Joan was horrible, certainly a mean girl.
Billie mistook any attention for friendship because she had trouble with social clues. Joan took advantage of that and bullied Billie to her own advantage. Not nice person!
Joan’s cruelty was beyond disgusting. Billie yearned for a friend and someone she could look up to and Joan took advantage of that. I questioned how many other children she could have abused. I shed no tears over her death. It seemed odd that the author threw this scene into the book and then just wrote away from it. She didn’t even write much about what effect it had on Billie and I would think that it would have a profound negative life changing effect.
My thoughts, too, Lana. Perhaps the author used the accident and deaths as a means for Billie to be given a chance to escape to Colorado, which in my opinion would have been a bad decision. Really? Going somewhere far away with a seemingly alcoholic guy who caused the accident???
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