Behind Five Willows

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 a young woman 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. It’s dangerous work, but she loves it―especially when she gets to transcribe the work of her favorite author.

When her older sister becomes smitten with a wealthy young gentleman, she 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, a young man has a lot expected of him. Wealth. Status. Respectability. Certainly not frivolous and often illicit activities such as reading fiction. But he 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 him question the purpose of it all. The only thing keeping him going are the encouraging letters he receives from his transcriber.

When his best friend falls for a girl of lower social status, he 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 they spend more time together, they begin to suspect they may have judged each other too quickly...