by June Hur
First published 2026
Haewon works as an illegal book transcriber in Korea during a time of government censorship. As the second daughter of a poor family, she risks danger to earn money copying forbidden texts, especially works by her favorite author, Black Lotus. When her older sister falls for a wealthy gentleman, Haewon must chaperone their meetings alongside the man's best friend, Seojun. The noble's son appears uptight and judgmental, everything Haewon dislikes about the upper class. Seojun faces pressure from his father to maintain wealth and status, but secretly writes fiction under the pen name Black Lotus. He finds encouragement only in letters from his transcriber, who signs as Magpie. Neither realizes they know each other through their secret work. As the chaperoning continues, Haewon and Seojun discover their first impressions were wrong. Their growing attraction complicates everything as they navigate class differences, family expectations, and the dangerous political climate surrounding banned literature.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, political-thriller
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, secret-identity
Setting: Korea
Period: 19th-century
336 pages · Hardcover · Feiwel & Friends