A romance novel due to be released in April has been canceled due to it having a line which is considered pro-Elon Musk.
“Sparrow and Vine” was written by Sophie Lark and was due to be put out by Bloom Books. But things took a turn when social media users who received advance copies started sharing screenshots of certain sections online.
“I was inspired by Elon Musk. I use his five step design process,” one of the characters says at one point.
Leftists have been furious with the billionaire Tesla founder ever since he purchased the social media platform X, and later when he came out in support of Donald Trump during his presidential campaign. They’re even more incensed over Musk’s involvement in the Trump administration as part of DOGE (the Department of Government Efficiency).
Another line that’s been getting a lot of attention has a main character saying, “I don’t want to sound ignorant…But shouldn’t there be a crew of people with questionable work visas picking these grapes for us?”
One TikTok user responded by saying, “Sophie Lark’s new book seems to be MAGA coded.”
Lark, whose other books include the “Kingmakers” and “Underworld” series, issued a public statement on her Instagram page.
“I want to start by saying how much I appreciate this community. Your passion, support, and willingness to engage in meaningful conversations have always meant the world to me. That’s why it’s so important for me to address something I got wrong,” the author wrote.
“It has been brought to my attention that certain lines in Sparrow and Vine were hurtful. Reading your messages and hearing your perspectives over the past twenty-four hours has been humbling, and I want to acknowledge the pain my words have caused. I am truly sorry.”
“My intention was to craft and demonstrate a flawed main character, but instead, I wrote dialogue that read as attacking a community that I care about very much.”
She went on to say Bloom recommended she remove the lines, but she decided to keep them, which she is now calling “the wrong choice.”
Lark also promised to “listen more closely to sensitivity readers” for any rewrites or upcoming projects.
