My Thoughts: Behind Five Willows by June Hur

*I received a copy of this book from Raincoast Books in exchange for an honest review.

Behind Five Willows

by June Hur

May 26, 2026

Goodreads Summary:

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 in order 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...

Review

Behind Five Willows was such an excellent read! From the questionable political decree to the social class divide to the personal prejudices, the story unfolded scene by scene like a well-developed K-drama.

Inside the pages of Behind Five Willows, I could really feel Haewon's love for books. "She didn't need to agree with the teachings, but surely there was no harm in knowing that the world was vast and complex, filled with places that were unfamiliar to her and ideas that were different from hers." (p. 78) The happiness she  felt from being surrounded by books made my heart full.

Behind Five Willows really highlighted exactly how important familial piety was in ancient times. Add in ironclad society rules and expectations, Seojun simply couldn't do anything (like write and/or pursue Haewon) to jeopardize his family's name/standing. "Fear makes us see things that are not truly there." (p. 119) The unfairness really left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Haewon and Seojun's slow burn romance had all the feels! Despite their "short" acquaintance, the quiet yearning showed in their shy interactions. Any disagreements they had actually served to push them closer. Yet due to their class difference, Haewon and Seojun both suffered greatly (from internal struggles and outside disapprovals). A future together was impossible but their hearts could not be stopped. "Joy was only made complete when shared." (p. 115)

Whether it was the small defiance in reading/transcribing books or the awkward but heartwarming romance, I loved everything about Behind Five Willows. And thank you June Hur for the meaningful history lesson.

*I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own and not affected in any way. Any quotes included in my review were taken from the copy I received.