‘Eat, Pray, Love’ author Elizabeth Gilbert pulls new book after Russian setting sparks backlash

“Eat, Pray, Love” author Elizabeth Gilbert said she will be delaying her next book after it garnered backlash for its Russian setting, with Ukrainian fans imploring her not to publish it amid the ongoing invasion.

The best-selling memoirist took to Instagram on Monday to let fans know that her newest novel, ‘The Snow Forest’ will not be published in February 2024, with the book set to be delayed until after the war in Ukraine ends.

“Over the course of this weekend, I have received an enormous, massive outpouring of reactions and responses from my Ukrainian readers, expressing anger, sorrow, disappointment and pain, about the fact that I would choose to release a book into the world right now,” Gilbert said.

“I want to say that I have heard these messages and read these messages, and I respect them. 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 her latest novel takes place in Siberia during the 20th century and centers around a group of people who left society in resistance of the Soviet government and to defend nature against rapid industrialization.

Despite the book’s apparent narrative centering around opposition against the Russian government, Gilbert acknowledged that “no matter what the subject of it is,” the setting could hurt the cause of her Ukrainian fans fighting against the Kremlin’s invasion.

“I do not want to add any harm to a group of people who have already experienced and who are all continuing to experience grievous and extreme harm,” she said.

The decision to postpone the book’s publishing comes as Ukrainian military officials announced that they have reclaimed yet another southeastern village in Donetsk from Russian forces, the latest victory in a wave of counterattacks against the Kremlin.

Despite the spate of victories, the Russian Defense Ministry has dubbed the counterstrikes as “unsuccessful” as Russian forces continue an onslaught of artilery fire at the recaptured villages.  

Along with fighting off Russia’s forces in the east, Ukraine is also facing an ecological disaster following the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam last week, flooding hundreds of homes and leaving thousands of fish to die in the mud flats.

Experts warned that the destruction of the dam will have generational impacts, with the consequences on the environment and infrastructure to last decades.

With the latest developments in the Ukraine, Gilbert said it was the right decision to put her book on hold and focus on her other works.

“I’ve got other book projects that I’m working on, and I made a decision to turn my attention to working on those now,” she said.