Behind Five Willows
Jane Austen reimagined in Korea - THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
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Behind Five Willows
Narrated by:
Michelle H. Lee
Buy Now for $28.09
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Narrated by:
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Michelle H. Lee
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By:
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June Hur
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 daughter of a poor family, Haewon is expected to marry well. Instead, amid harsh censorship and rampant book bans, she secretly works as an illegal book transcriber - dangerous work she loves, especially when copying the writings of her favorite author, the elusive Black Lotus.
When her older sister begins courting a wealthy young man, Haewon is dragged along as chaperone - forced to endure the company of his arrogant, insufferable best friend.
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As the only son of a noble, Seojun is expected to embody wealth, status, and propriety. No one can know that he secretly writes fiction - or that the only thing keeping him going under pressure from his overbearing father are the warm, insightful letters from his transcriber, 'Magpie'.
But when his best friend falls for a girl far below their social rank, Seojun must join their chaperoned outings - alongside her sharp-tongued younger sister. Yet the more time Seojun and Haewon spend together, the more they realize how wrong their first impressions were . . .©2026 June Hur
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Critic Reviews
Hur's latest historical work is an homage to Pride and Prejudice that feels devastatingly timely as it shines an unflinching light on the downsides of government-enforced censorship of stories and ideas. ... Despite the historically accurate restrictions on the characters' ability to so much as brush hands, their romance is utterly swoony and heartstopping. ... An engaging, thoughtful Austen interpretation.
Both an homage to Jane Austen and historical K-dramas, every page of Hur's novel stuns with its absorbing plot, exquisite attention to detail, and breathtaking romance. Behind Five Willows is an instant classic and a book that I will cherish for a very long time.
Heartwarmingly beautiful . . . A charming love story.
Warmly rendered characters navigate a unique and evocative setting, which echoes with sharp societal commentary as well as witty repartee that's reminiscent of Pride and Prejudice.
Beautiful
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Highly enjoyable
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