'Eat, Pray, Love' author halts publication of book set in Russia after backlash

The bestselling author of “Eat, Pray, Love” is indefinitely delaying the publication of her new book set in the Russian province of Siberia following backlash from Ukrainian readers, she said on social media Monday morning.

Elizabeth Gilbert said she is halting publication of the novel, "The Snow Forest," originally scheduled to publish in February, after she 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 — any book, no matter what the subject of it is — that is set in Russia.

"I want to say that I have heard these messages, have read these messages and I respect them. And as a result I'm making a course correction and removing the book from its publication schedule," she continued.

"It is not the time for this book to be published. And I do not want to add any harm to a group of people who have already experienced, and are continuing to experience, grievous and extreme harm," Gilbert added.

Gilbert described the novel as “set in the middle of Siberia in the middle of the last century” telling “the story of a group of individuals who made a decision to remove themselves from the society to resist the Soviet government and to try to defend nature against industrialization.”

Ashley Garland, the publicity director for Riverhead Books, Gilbert’s American publisher, said in an email Monday morning that “the book is being delayed indefinitely,” adding, “That is the only decision at this point.”

Anyone who already pre-ordered the book will be refunded, Gilbert wrote in the caption.

Though Gilbert's announcement doesn't mention them specifically, more than 500 reviewers appear to have given the book one-star ratings on the book reviewing website Goodreads in recent days, with several accusing Gilbert of "romanticizing " Russia while living at a safe distance from the country's devastating war with Ukraine.

Gilbert said she plans to turn her attention to "other book projects." She is the author of eight books, including the 2006 bestselling memoir "Eat, Pray, Love," which chronicles her divorce and subsequent journey around the world. Fans of the book, which inspired a 2010 film starring Julia Roberts as Gilbert, retraced her steps on their own trips to Italy, India and Indonesia.

Monday's announcement garnered mixed reactions from Gilbert's social media followers, with some praising her decision to listen to Ukrainian fans and others criticizing her for participating in what some characterize as censorship.

"I can’t even begin to know if this is the best decision or not but I have so much respect for a decision that is being made to protect the hearts of others," a commenter wrote in response to her Instagram video.

"As much as I appreciate how much she cares about her readers, I have a problem with stopping an artist from creating. She herself said it was about individuals who went AGAINST the Soviet union, so I really don’t think she was about to publish Russian-supportive propaganda," another wrote.

Suzanne Nossel, chief executive officer of the free expression group PEN America, called Gilbert's decision both "regrettable" and "well-intended," and said those who led the backlash were not doing so in good faith.

"The timing of the uproar, right after Gilbert announced the forthcoming publication, makes clear that those objecting have not yet had a chance to read or judge the work itself," Nossel said. "The publication of a novel set in Russia should not be cast as an act exacerbating oppression."

"We hope Gilbert might reconsider and we urge others to rally around the on-time publication of her book, and the principle that literature and creativity must not become a casualty of war," she continued.

PEN America has also been at the center of debates about the impacts of the Russia-Ukraine war on literature and cultural institutions: last month, the group canceled a panel discussion featuring Russian writers at its World Voices Festival following objections from Ukrainian writers, prompting Russian journalist Masha Gessen to resign from the organization's board in protest, The New York Times reported.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com