Special thanks to the author and Feiwel & Friends for providing a digital ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!
Behind Five Willows
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: 26 May 2026
Genre: Young Adult Historical Romance
Panda Rating:
(4 pandas)
๐ SYNOPSIS
From the New York Times-bestselling author of A Crane Among Wolves comes a warm and romantic homage to Jane Austen 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. Itโs dangerous work, but she loves itโespecially 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 wouldnโt be so terrible… if it werenโt for the young manโs 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. Heโs kept his work secret from his father and friends, but with each passing day, the pressure of being his fatherโs 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 coupleโalong 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…
โ ๏ธ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS
Classism, sexism, misogyny, past death of a family member (recounted briefly), past attempted murder of a family member (recounted briefly), censorship, mild violence
TL;DR: Iโve been looking forward to reading this book ever since it first came on my radar. A Pride & Prejudice remix set in Joseon era Korea featuring characters with a passion for fiction and a forbidden romance? I loved the sound of it and Iโm happy to say that I enjoyed this so much! Hur excels at weaving the historical Korean context into a story that most are familiar with, and still makes it her own by introducing elements of intrigue and rebellion. Haewon and Seojun were great characters full of passion and longing, and though I wished their romance and arcs had been a bit more developed, I still loved both of them. I especially loved the yearning and by the end, I did get weepy. ๐ฅนย Overall, this was a really great historical and romantic YA, and a pretty fun read for those who enjoy Pride & Prejudice with a twist! I would definitely recommend it.
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