Joan Bauer was born in 1951 in River Forest, Illinois. The eldest of three sisters, Joan grew up writing stories, poems, and entries in her diary. Joan's mother was a high school English teacher and her grandmother, who lived at home, was a professional storyteller. When Joan was eight, her parents got divorced and her father, who was an alcoholic, dropped out of her life. As a teen, Joan was a self-described "rebel" who was trying to find her place in the world without a father figure. She credits her early jobs and love for books as positive influences that helped keep her on the right track.