Key takeaways:
- Elizabeth Gilbert has indefinitely postponed the publication of her novel, “The Snow Forest,” due to backlash from Ukrainian readers.
- The novel was set in Siberia in the 20th century and tells the story of a group of individuals who removed themselves from society to resist the Soviet government.
- Gilbert is “deeply sorry” for any hurt her book may have caused and is “committed to listening to the Ukrainian people” and “working with them to find a way to honor their stories and their experiences.”
Bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert announced on Monday that she is indefinitely postponing the publication of her novel, “The Snow Forest,” due to the overwhelming backlash she’s received from Ukrainian readers and their supporters.
In a heartfelt video message shared on her Instagram page, Gilbert — author of the critically acclaimed 2006 memoir “Eat, Pray, Love” — acknowledged the “outpouring of reactions and responses” she received from Ukrainian readers, emphasizing that she did not want to contribute to the “grievous and extreme harm” they have experienced amid the Russian invasion.
“The Snow Forest,” which is set in Siberia in the 20th century, tells the story of “a group of individuals who made a decision to remove themselves from society to resist the Soviet government and to try to defend nature against industrialization,” Gilbert said.
The novel was scheduled for publication on Feb. 13, 2024, but Gilbert said she has decided against moving forward with that timeline.
“I don’t want to be part of any narrative that diminishes or belittles the suffering of the Ukrainian people,” Gilbert said. “I don’t want to contribute to any misunderstanding or pain that they are going through.”
Gilbert said she is “deeply sorry” for any hurt her book may have caused, and she is “working to find a way to make it right.” She added that she is “committed to listening to the Ukrainian people” and “working with them to find a way to honor their stories and their experiences.”
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