'Eat, Pray, Love' author Elizabeth Gilbert pulls new book set in Russia after backlash

Author Elizabeth Gilbert announced she would be removing her upcoming novel "The Snow Forest" from its publication schedule after she received backlash for publishing a historical novel set in Russia amidst the war in Ukraine.

Gilbert said in a video posted to Instagram on June 12 she had received an "enormous, massive outpouring" of reactions and responses from Ukrainian readers after the book was announced last week. Russia launched its ongoing invasion into Ukraine in February 2022.

"As a result, I’m making a course correction, and I’m removing the book from its publication schedule. It is not the time for this book to be published," Gilbert said. "I do not want to add any harm to a group of people who have already experienced and who are continuing to experience grievous and extreme harm. So that is the choice that I have made."

The "Eat, Pray, Love" author said her Ukrainian readers expressed "anger, sorrow, disappointment and pain about the fact that I would choose to release a book into the world right now, any book, no matter what the subject of it is, that is set in Russia."

Gilbert said she heard and read their messages, and that she respects them, so she would be removing "The Snow Forest" from its publication schedule.

Ashley Garland, publicity director at Riverhead Books, confirmed in a statement to TODAY.com the book will be "delayed indefinitely."

"That is the only decision at this point," Garland said, adding Gilbert declined to comment further than what she said in her Instagram post.

"The Snow Forest" is set in the middle of Siberia in the mid-1900s," Gilbert said, and is about a group of individuals who removed themselves from society to "resist the Soviet government and to try to defend nature against industrialization."

The publisher provided a more extensive official description, listed on Amazon.

"In a remote, high-altitude corner of Siberia, a lone family of religious fundamentalists lives isolated and undetected. Since retreating in the 1930s, they have scrounged off the cold and unforgiving land, refusing all contact with society even as they raise their children. Untethered from human progress, unaware even of the events of WWII, their knowledge and beliefs remain frozen in time, until their mountaintop homestead is finally discovered.

"In 1980, one unlikely woman is sent to bridge the chasm between modern existence and the family’s ancient, snow forest life. She has spent her life in a different kind of hiding, and what she discovers in the taiga, and in the unique youngest girl, will prove stranger and more miraculous than anything she ever expected, upturning her own quiet life forever," the description continues.

Several Ukrainian fans applauded Gilbert's decision in the comments of her post.

"I’m Ukrainian and I appreciate this decision very much. It tells me there’s compassion and solidarity for me," a commenter wrote. "I will gladly read this book when Russia stops destroying my country and killing my people. I believe there will be the right time for this book. Right now it isn’t."

"When I read about the announcement, I lost the ground under my feet as you are a big example to me and I was always admiring you as a writer and as a person," another person wrote. "With this decision all of my heart goes to you! Thank you for being sensitive and showing a beautiful example on how one decision can change a lot."

Another commenter said they wanted to appeal to those who don't understand Gilbert's decision: "It’s easy to judge when you haven’t experienced war and genocide from a neighboring country. I understand where you all are coming from, and it’s difficult to be in another person’s shoes. But ANY mention of anything Russian right now is a huge trigger for any Ukrainian."

Other fans wrote in the comments they feared Gilbert was being censored.

"As much as I appreciate how much she cares about her readers, I have a problem with stopping an artist from creating," one Instagram user wrote. "I think artists lose their freedom of speech in a way by letting their fans telling them what to or what not to publish. It also gives more room to people who try to divide and separate people."

Another commenter questioned if Gilbert's decision means "no art can be made when it's located in Russia."

"I think this is a wrong signal," the user wrote. "It’s the same as canceling Russian ballet and other art. Is that the direction we want to go in this world?"

Another person said, "I respect you wanting to respect them. But I think this is a textbook case of modern day oversensitivity in the extreme ... the notion that you shouldn't release your book is heinous, and I'm sorry people made you feel this way."

Gilbert said in her post she will now turn her attention to other book projects she's working on.

"The Snow Forest" was previously scheduled to release on Feb. 13, 2024. Any person who had been charged for a preorder of the book will be fully refunded, Gilbert said.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com