Author Elizabeth Gilbert, best known for her bestselling debut novel « Eat, Pray, Love, » She said His next book won’t come out as planned on Monday after backlash from Ukrainians over the volume’s Russian setting.
The new novel, titled « The Snow Forest » and set in the middle of Siberia in the 1900s, was supposed to be published in February 2024, coincidentally around the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
However Gilberto announced he was putting the project on hold due to a « massive outpouring of reactions » from Ukrainian readers who feared the book would romanticize Russia at a time when the country is accused of committing war crimes.
Over the weekend, more than 500 people served a star reviews on the Goodreads platform, while others reacted with frustration to the book’s initial announcement on Twitter.
“I have read these messages and respect them and as a result I am removing the book from publication,” Gilbert said in his latest video.
He then explained that he will focus on other projects for now, and that anyone tasked with pre-ordering the book will be reimbursed.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article misidentified Elizabeth Gilbert in a photo caption.
