Author Sophie Lark released a statement after facing criticism for controversial lines from Sparrow and Vine that surfaced online.
The romance novelist is weeks away from releasing her latest book, Sparrow and Vine. It is the story of a young woman who embarks on a reluctant marriage to save her family's winery.
The book is set to hit bookstores in mid-April, picking up steam among the 'booktok' community online, along with hits like the recently released third book in the beloved Empyrean series, Onyx Storm.
Author Sophie Lark's 2025 Controversy & Sparrow and Vine Drama
Sophie Lark, the author of Sparrow and Vine, is clarifying her position after controversial snippets from her upcoming book landed her in hot water.
The fan-favorite romance novelist was accused of being racist in her upcoming book thanks to small bits of writing from the title appearing online.
In these short previews from Sparrow and Vine, the book's main character makes possibly prejudiced, questionable remarks, which were used unironically in the book without further criticism or commentary.
These excerpts included mention of workers with "questionable work visas" working on the book's central vineyard, as well as an unironic mention of incest and the controversial CEO of X, Elon Musk (via BookndBusy):
"But shouldn't there be a crew of people with questionable work visas picking these grapes for us?"
Fans quickly jumped on these snippets from the upcoming novel. Some even mentioned that this is not Lark's first time including questionable passages in one of her novels (via Reddit).
Lark issued a public response to the controversy on her Instagram page, saying that the lines had been brought to her attention, and she is "truly sorry" for any pain she has caused:
"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. 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."
She noted that her "intention was to craft and demonstrate a flawed main character," but instead, it "read as attacking...a community:"
"My intention was to craft and demonstrate a flawed main character, but instead, I wrote dialogue that read as attacking to a community that I care about very much."
"During the editing process, Bloom recommended removing these lines," she continued, admitting, "I made the wrong choice in keeping them:"
"During the editing process, Bloom recommended removing these lines, and I made the wrong choice in keeping them. I now understand that impact matters more than intent, and I regret that my words caused harm. Please don't blame Bloom for my mistakes. I wrote this back in the summer of 2024, and a lot has changed in the world since then, particularly in regard to the fate of immigrants worldwide and certain public figures. Some things I would write differently now, so that's exactly what I'm going to do."
Lark then revealed she is "pausing this book and this series for some re-writes" and hopes she "can earn your trust back in the future:"
"Words mean nothing without action, so I am pausing this book and this series for some re-writes to ensure that my work doesn't contribute to harm. I will also be listening more closely to our sensitivity readers and taking additional steps to educate myself on responsible storytelling. And to those who took the time to share their feedback, thank you. To those I have hurt, I am very sorry. I hope I can earn your trust back in the future. Love, Sophie."
The novel's April 2025 release has since been delayed, as Lark takes it back to the drawing board to adjust the lines that had drawn the ire of so many.
Lark has also previously found herself in hot water from fans, thanks to public drama between her and her former art director. This controversy saw the author allegedly fire her art director, Vixeusartistry, and continue using her art without proper credit.
Sparrow and Vine was set to hit bookshelves on April 22, but its plan remains unclear.
Read more about another booktok hit, Ali Hazelwood's Bride, here.
