Behind Five Willows coming May 19th, 2026 from Feiwel & Friends; 352 pages
Content Warning: Sexism
About the Author: “June Hur (허주은) is a New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author of YA Korean historicals, including The Silence of Bones, The Forest of Stolen Girls, The Red Palace, A Crane Among Wolves and Behind Five Willows. Born in South Korea, June spent her formative years in the USA, Canada, and South Korea before studying History and Literature at the University of Toronto and working at the city’s public library. Her work has been featured in Forbes, NPR, The New York Times, CBC, Vogue Korea, and KBS. She resides in Toronto with her family and can be spotted writing in coffee shops” (Bio from author’s website).
Find June Hur on the following platforms:
Amongst constant government book bans, Haewon knows that reading books is foolish, and transcribing them is dangerous. However, that doesn’t stop her from being Magpie, a renowned transcriber for the secret Five Willows bookshop. Haewon loves the thrill of reading and transcribing, and pens letters to her favorite writer, Black Lotus. When an incident with her sister causes Haewon to bump into Lord Yu Seojun, Haewon is immediately wary of him. Being the son of a wealthy family, Seojun knows what’s expected of him—and that isn’t being a secret writer with a pen pal. Haewon and Seojun aren’t each other’s biggest fans, but when Haewon’s sister Jade and Seojun’s best friend Byeongho start courting, the two are together more often than they wish. As they continue to spend time together, Haewon and Seojun realize they may not truly know each other at all—or, perhaps, maybe they know each other too well. Will their secrets come to light?
This was such an adorable read! Taking inspiration from Pride and Prejudice, I loved our Elizabeth (Haewon) and Mr. Darcy (Seojun). These two are both incredibly stubborn, and it was fun to watch their relationship develop. I loved how headstrong Haewon was, and I liked how the government intervention didn’t stop her from reading and transcribing books. The commentary on censorship was perfect, and is still so relevant today, even though this book takes place in the 1700s. The secret bookshop was interesting to read about, and I think it was a great background for our main characters. Both Haewon and Seojun love the bookshop, and their love of stories plays such a large role in their relationship. Though originally put off by Haewon, Seojun developed such a deep love for her, and I thought it was very sweet and reminiscent of how Mr. Darcy feels for Elizabeth. Another thing I enjoyed in this book was the family dynamics. Haewon’s family resembled the Bennett family, and I loved reading about the quiet older sister and the rambunctious younger sister. I could tell how much the girls loved each other, and their relationship was such a beautiful part of the novel. All the women in this story were so distinct and strong, and I absolutely adore powerful female characters. If you love Pride and Prejudice (especially the 2005 movie adaptation), books, and Korean history, you will love Behind Five Willows!
Behind Five Willows releases on May 19th, 2026.
Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and Feiwel & Friends for sending us an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change before final publication.
Emersen Cooper, Pine Reads Review Writer, Editor, and Website Manager