Elizabeth Gilbert withdraws new novel set in Russia and Ukraine due to controversy.
Bestselling author Elizabeth Gilbert has decided to pause the publication of her new novel, The Snow Forest, set in Soviet Russia, after facing backlash over releasing the book during the ongoing war in Ukraine. The book was set to be released in February 2024 and is based on the Lykov family, who spent more than 40 years in the Siberian wilderness with little human contact. Gilbert said she was inspired to write the novel after isolating during the pandemic but decided to halt the novel's release after receiving criticism from some Ukrainian fans.