Lunch and Learn returns with special guest June Hur (허주ì€) in conversation with the Prince George's County Office of Human Rights and the Prince George's County Memorial Libr ary System discussing her book\, "Behind Five Willows."
\nRegistration not required. Click on the YouTube video linked below to stream the program live or watch the recording late r.
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About the Book: \;
\nFrom t he \;New York Times-bestselling author of "A Crane Among Wolves" comes 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.
\nAs the dutiful se cond-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 in order to make a little extra money. It&rsquo\; s dangerous work\, but she loves it―especially when she gets to tra nscribe the work of her favorite author\, known as Black Lotus.
\nWh en her older sister becomes smitten with a wealthy young gentleman\, Haewo n is roped into chaperoning them during their courtship. Which wouldn&rsqu o\;t be so terrible&hellip\; if it weren&rsquo\;t for the young man&rsquo\ ;s uptight and annoying best friend who also accompanies them.
\nAs the only son of a noble\, Seojun has a lot expected of him. Wealth. Status . Respectability. Certainly not frivolous and often illicit activities suc h as reading fiction. But Seojun loves to do something even more scandalou s: writing. He&rsquo\;s kept his work secret from his father and friends\, but with each passing day\, the pressure of being his father&rsquo\;s son and the dispiriting actions of the government make Seojun question the pu rpose of it all. The only thing keeping him going are the encouraging lett ers he receives from his transcriber\, known only as Magpie.
\nWhen his best friend falls hard for a girl of lower social status\, Seojun find s himself forced to act as chaperone to the infatuated couple―along with the girl&rsquo\;s younger sister\, who is as irritating as she is ju dgmental. But as Haewon and Seojun spend more time together\, they begin t o suspect they may have judged each other too quickly&hellip\;
\nAbo ut the author: \;
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June Hur (허주ì€) is a New York Tim es bestselling and Edgar Award-winning author of YA Korean historicals\, i ncluding The Silence of Bones\, The Forest of Stolen Girls\, The Red Palac e\, A Crane Among Wolves and Behind Five Willows. Born in South Korea\, Ju ne spent her formative years in the USA\, Canada\, and South Korea before studying History and Literature at the University of Toronto and working a t the city&rsquo\;s public library. Her work has been featured in Forbes\, NPR\, The New York Times\, CBC\, Vogue Korea\, and KBS. She resides in To ronto with her family and can be spotted writing in coffee shops.
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