Behind Five Willows by June Hur
Publisher’s Summary: From the New York Times-bestselling author of A Crane Among Wolves comes a warm and romantic homage to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice set in historical Korea, about a reader and a writer who secretly fight against government book banning and find themselves irresistibly drawn together.
As the dutiful second-eldest daughter of a poor family, society would have Haewon believe that her only hope of a decent life is to marry well. But during a time of rampant government censorship and book banning, she instead works as an illegal book transcriber to make a little extra money. It’s dangerous work, but she loves it—especially when she gets to transcribe the work of her favorite author, known as Black Lotus.
When her older sister becomes smitten with a wealthy young gentleman, Haewon is roped into chaperoning them during their courtship. Which wouldn’t be so terrible… if it weren’t for the young man’s uptight and annoying best friend who also accompanies them.
As the only son of a noble, Seojun has a lot expected of him. Wealth. Status. Respectability. Certainly not frivolous and often illicit activities such as reading fiction. But Seojun loves to do something even more scandalous: writing. He’s kept his work secret from his father and friends, but with each passing day, the pressure of being his father’s son and the dispiriting actions of the government make Seojun question the purpose of it all. The only thing keeping him going are the encouraging letters he receives from his transcriber, known only as Magpie.
When his best friend falls hard for a girl of lower social status, Seojun finds himself forced to act as chaperone to the infatuated couple—along with the girl’s younger sister, who is as irritating as she is judgmental. But as Haewon and Seojun spend more time together, they begin to suspect they may have judged each other too quickly…
My Thoughts: A secret book selling shop, a Pride and Prejudice inspired romance, and K-drama vibes sounded like perfection to me and Behind Five Willows was extremely satisfying. Any one of those elements would have sold me, but all three added up to a pure delight.
I work at an elementary school and this time of year is extremely stressful as we are finishing up the year and trying to get everything done. This book was a refreshing and relaxing read that brought me a little joy and I think it will do the same for anyone.
Part of what I liked was that Haewon and Seojun have layers to their relationship that they are not initially aware of and there is tension while waiting to see how they will put the pieces together. And of course, they constantly misunderstand each other and jump to conclusions as one might expect from an Austen influenced tale. Watching them move slowly towards each other in spite of their prejudices is very satisfying.
K-drama fans will likely love this as it will feel somewhat familiar. It isn’t necessary to have that background to enjoy this, but there will be a lot of reminders of different historical dramas if a reader does have that context.
The author provides a brief bit of history at the beginning so readers will have some idea of why the book banning is happening, but there is also some explanation within the story too. The written word is seen as dangerous to the status quo and it’s a fascinating part of the novel. My favorite though is the back and forth between Haewon and Seojun as they learn more and more about themselves and each other.
Recommendation: Get it now. This is a fun romance with a glimpse of Korean history with a nod to Pride and Prejudice. There are a few twists and surprises along the way, but it mostly felt like a comfort read because it was satisfyingly lovely.
Extra: FullyBookedPod
K-Drama connections: 100 Days My Prince 백일의 낭군님 and Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 336
Availability: On shelves now
Review copy: Digital copy via publisher