DRC Review: Behind Five Willows by June Hur
- Story Eater
- May 26
- 3 min read
Release date: 26 May 2026
Rating: 5/5
Synopsis: 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...
Review
After reading a sampler for Behind Five Willows, I promptly requested the full DRC (thanks to Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan via Netgalley). I did not read the synopsis before I started the book, so the Jane Austen element came as a surprise. After reading the book and circling back to the synopsis, it definitely feels more of a close Pride and Prejudice retelling than a romantic homage. Many of the plot points run concurrently, and characters have distinct parallels as well.
No matter to me that it's a retelling, though, because Hur doesn't give readers a boring retelling. The historical circumstances surrounding the characters were interesting enough to hold my attention, and I loved learning more about Korean history. Censorship and book banning are perennially relevant subjects to the bookish world, so this book should have a perpetual place on shelves, I think particularly in classrooms. My educator brain spent most of the time bifurcated between enjoying the story and dreaming up lesson plans.
One can't have a Pride & Prejudice retelling without an Elizabeth and Darcy, and Hur's Haewon and Seojun fill their archetypal shoes well. With the added historical backdrop, the context for the couple piqued my interest, adding in a bit of You've Got Mail to the mix of tropes. I found the miscommunication done well here, much better than most of the other times I read the trope. In fact, this happens to be the second book I've read lately that does so; I'm cautiously optimistic for more books to breathe life into it. The two characters, though young, are responsible and mature; and their interactions feel natural and believably spontaneous (and are also appropriately YA).
Overall, 5/5 for this retelling. If more current YA novels were written in such a manner, I believe I would still be regularly reading and recommending them.
My thanks to Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan via NetGalley for the sample, for which I willingly give my own, honest opinion.
Comments