AN UNCANNY ALIGNMENT OF HEARTS: A Q&A WITH NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR JUNE HUR

 

Dear Janeites and book lovers,

sometimes, the universe has a beautiful way of bringing things full circle. If you have followed my online writing journey, you might know that alongside My Jane Austen Book Club (which I have been writing since 2010), I also ran a parallel blog called FLY HIGH! (started in 2009). Way back in March 2010, I featured a young, aspiring writer in a "Blogger Buddies" segment on FLY HIGH!. She used to email me about her passionate dream of one day becoming a published author. That writer was June Hur.

Sixteen years later, June is a New York Times bestselling author, and while I now focus most of my energy right here on My Jane Austen Book Club and our wonderful Facebook community, I still occasionally pop over to FLY HIGH! to share my latest obsessions. If you've read those rare, recent posts, you know that since the pandemic, I have fallen completely in love with Korean literature, K-dramas, and all things Hallyu (the Korean Wave). You can imagine my absolute thrill when the social media algorithms brought June and me back together, revealing that her newest novel, Behind Five Willows, is a romantic homage to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, set right in the heart of the Joseon Dynasty!

Set in 1792 during a strict, real-life historical government book ban, Behind Five Willows follows Shin Haewon (our fierce, Elizabeth Bennet-inspired heroine), a poor second daughter moonlighting as an illegal book transcriber under the pen name "Magpie." Enter Yu Seojun (our brilliant, uptight Mr. Darcy), a wealthy nobleman who secretly rebels against his status by writing forbidden fiction under the name "Black Lotus." Forced together as chaperones for their friends, they clash spectacularly in person, entirely unaware that they are already deeply connected through anonymous, secret letters.

Today, June joins us at My Jane Austen Book Club to chat about yearning, censorship, historical parallels, and what it’s like to bring Darcy and Elizabeth to 18th-century Korea.  

Maria Grazia 💕

June, welcome back! We first connected 16 years ago when you were dreaming of publication and I featured you on my parallel blog, FLY HIGH!. Now, you are a New York Times bestseller writing a Pride and Prejudice homage, and I am a massive fan of Korean culture and Hallyu! How does it feel to look back on those early 2010 emails, and did you ever imagine Jane Austen and Korea would be the bridge that brought us back together?

Maria! The moment I saw your DM, I felt such a rush of nostalgia. I remember being so honored when you first reached out to interview me, and now I'm doubly honored (and honestly so moved) that you still remembered me all these years later.

When I first began researching Korean history, I was always struck by the parallels between late Joseon Dynasty Korea and Jane Austen's England, such as social expectations, the importance of reputation, and the rigid class structures. And in many ways I noticed how historical K-dramas evoke the similar feelings as British period dramas.  

So the fact that I used BEHIND FIVE WILLOWS to bridge those two worlds makes our reconnection feel fitting. 

Behind Five Willows takes place in 1792 under the strict Muchebanjeong literature censorship edict. In Austen's world, reading novels was often looked down upon as a frivolous distraction, but in your version of Korea, fiction is actively illegal. How did shifting the stakes from social disapproval to literal government rebellion change the dynamic between your Elizabeth and Darcy figures (Haewon and Seojun)?

I've always gravitated toward high-stakes stories, so raising the stakes felt like a natural fit. I love how danger shapes romantic relationships, as I find it heightens the emotions and intensifies the longing. 

And, in 1792 Korea, because fiction was illegal and people held incredibly passionate opinions about it, I was also able to reimagine Austen's theme of first impressions. Instead of judging one another based on just manners or social status, Haewon and Seojun initially judge each other based on whether they believe the other supports or opposes book banning. That allowed me to explore Austen's central idea of misjudgment through a uniquely Korean historical lens.

 You have mentioned that you purposefully researched Korean history in the 1790s to match the exact era when Jane Austen was alive and writing Pride and Prejudice. What were some of the most surprising structural parallels you found between Regency England's social restrictions and the Joseon Dynasty's strict rules regarding class and gender propriety?

While researching about Joseon Dynasty Korea, I've always been struck by the parallels, and it wasn't until I was working on BEHIND FIVE WILLOWS that I could more fully explore the similarities.

 For example, the strict codes surrounding propriety, honor, and class in Regency England closely mirror those of 1790s Joseon Korea -- although late Joseon society was considerably more rigid and restrictive.

 In both societies, reputation was everything. Marriage for love was uncommon and, in Joseon Korea, nearly unthinkable. A woman's future was largely determined by her family's status and her perceived virtue.

On your Instagram @junehwrites, you noted that your absolute favourite element of Pride and Prejudice is the intense, slow-burn yearning—especially the "Darcy falls first" trope. How did you translate that agonizing, delicious Austen-style tension into a historical Korean sageuk (period drama) setting?

That was actually one of the biggest challenges. BEHIND FIVE WILLOWS follows the plot structure of Pride and Prejudice, so readers will recognize nods to iconic scenes. But adapting something like the Meryton Assembly or the visit to Netherfield was rather tricky

 In Joseon Korea, upper-class boys and girls were rigidly segregated from the age of seven under the Confucian principle of "namnyeo chilse budongseok" (남녀칠세부동석), meaning "men and women, after the age of seven, should not sit together." There were no public dances or drawing-room gatherings where young men and women could naturally meet. In fact, unmarried women were expected not to show their faces to unrelated men. Courtship as we think of it today simply didn't exist, and brides and grooms often didn't meet until their wedding day.

 That meant I had to creatively imagine historically believable situations where Haewon and Seojun could cross paths without causing scandal.

Ironically, those restrictions ended up becoming one of the story's greatest strengths. Every conversation and glance, and every encounter and hand touch feels forbidden, because it wasn't supposed to happen. The yearning became even more delicious precisely because it was forbidden.

 In Behind Five Willows, Haewon and Seojun are anonymous epistolary pen pals ("Magpie" and "Black Lotus") who can't stand each other when they meet face-to-face as chaperones. This gives the story a brilliant You've Got Mail twist. Why did you choose letters as the medium for them to look past their pride and prejudices?

When I wrote the first draft, I struggled to make Seojun's feelings for Haewon develop naturally without it feeling like instalove.

 As I brainstormed, I thought about how Darcy first truly reveals himself through his letter. That led me to thinking about letters more generally, and then I remembered that You've Got Mail was itself inspired by Pride and Prejudice. Suddenly everything clicked.

 Letters allowed Haewon and Seojun to fall in love with each other's minds before they ever truly saw one another. By the time chapter one begins, they already deeply care for each other without realizing they're the very people they clash with in real life. It gave their romance a much richer emotional foundation while also reinforcing Austen's theme of looking beyond first impressions.

 For my readers at My Jane Austen Book Club who are eager to dive into Korean historical fiction and K-dramas for the first time, what elements of Behind Five Willows do you think will make them feel right at home?

I intentionally wrote BEHIND FIVE WILLOWS to feel like a Regency romance, even though it's set in Joseon Korea. I studied the structure by reading countless Regency novels, including Georgette Heyer, so I think readers will recognize the familiar pacing, wit, banter, and slow-burn romance.

 At the same time, I hope they'll discover the joy of Korean historical fiction. Joseon Korea offers many of the same things that make Regency romances so beloved: strict social etiquette, family expectations, hidden longing, and sweeping romance. If you love Jane Austen and period dramas, I think you'll find that Korea's history feels surprisingly familiar while offering an entirely fresh world to fall in love with. 

Check our Book Club Slides on Tumblr

---

Join the Conversation!

A huge thank you to June Hur for sharing her incredible journey and giving us a peek into Behind Five Willows. It is truly magical to see how a friendship born in the blogosphere sixteen years ago has come full circle through a shared love of Jane Austen and historical storytelling.

Now, we want to hear from you, dear Janeites!

• Are you excited to read this Joseon-era Pride and Prejudice reimagining?
• What is your favorite K-drama or Hallyu obsession lately?
• Have you ever reconnected with an old online friend?

Drop your thoughts in the comments below! If you enjoyed this interview, please share it with your fellow book lovers. Until next time, happy reading!

 Visit June's website

Check Behind Five Willows on Amazon

Watch our video review on YouTube