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books I’ve read in 2026 📖 no. 059
Behind Five Willows by June Hur
“You are the kind of soul one finds only once in a lifetime, and travels the next thousand searching for again I would do that for you. I could live and die, searching each lifetime, for you.”
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Oh my goodness you read Behind Five Willows!! I’m so excited for it!
It is SO GOOD I hope it becomes a runaway bestseller and gets made into a kdrama
✩📚✍️Review:
*Thanks to @fiercereadsya for free copy for review*
Hur’s latest novel is a love letter to books and storytelling!
“Behind Five Willows” follows Haewon, an illegal book transcriber from a poor family, and Seojun, the wealthy son of a noble writing under a pen name, as they secretly fight against government book banning and find themselves irresistibly drawn together.
Hur’s descriptive prose and well-researched historical details seamlessly transported me back in time to Joseon-era Korea. I was immediately drawn in by the tense environment Hur created in setting the story during a time of rampant government censorship and book banning. Much of what the characters must grapple with, including the loss of freedom, mirror issues seen in today’s heightened era of book challenges. The secrecy the characters had to maintain and the rules they toed around just to protect an activity they love tugged on my heartstrings. While the situation is dire, hope is woven into the storyline.
Haewon and Seojun’s love story is achingly beautiful! Their romance is largely forbidden given their differences in social status, which made me adore the way these two come together all the more. Unbeknownst to them, Haewon and Seojun first connect as pen pals writing under pen names. Hur includes the contents of their letters to illustrate the depth of the friendship they forged in being wholly honest with each other. When they first meet in person, they are quick to cast judgment, which makes it harder to come to terms with their feelings once the truth surrounding their identities comes to light. Their development from despising one another to being unable to part ways is well-paced and quite frankly made me weak in the knees. The yearning and tension practically jumps off the page! Jane Austen fans will delight in the parallels between “Behind Five Willows” and “Pride and Prejudice.” I highly recommend picking this one up!
Cross-posted to: Instagram | Amazon | Goodreads | StoryGraph
Last year I had the opportunity to review Behind Five Willows by June Hur through NetGalley. It's an astonishingly beautiful book.
BEHIND FIVE WILLOWS BY JUNE HURE: BOOK CLUB SLIDES
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Behind Five Willows
by June Hur
Behind Five Willows
By June Hur.
behind five willows was blurbed to me as "pride & prejudice set in historical korea" and, as with so many blurbs, i think that this really undersells it. there's a lot more going on here! like, the specific historical period being one of strict censorship, and our leads read and write fiction in defiance of it? the fact that the romantic leads' starting dynamic is reminiscent of you've got mail? like, yes, the characters' personalities and social contexts are definitely inspired by darcy and elizabeth, but i think the fact that they have a beloved pseudonymous penpals/disliked IRL acquaintances dynamic around a technically illegal mutual interest would be good for readers to know upfront!
Pride and Prejudice meets Joseon-Era Korea
