Author Sophie Lark Issues Apology for Questionable Immigrant Comments in Book
Sophie Lark is no stranger to controversy. She’s previously faced backlash for writing a black female main character who referred to herself, according to a review on Goodreads, as a slave for her white boyfriend. Now, she’s under scrutiny for remarks made about immigrants and Elon Musk in her recent book, Sparrow and Vine, which reached ARC readers who posted the remarks online. Normally, characters who make such remarks are villains or have growth, but this unfortunately isn’t the case here, according to readers. Worst of all? Sophie remarked that the publishers told her to get rid of the remarks, and she chose to keep them.
Here’s her full statement, which she posted on her TikTok. She has turned off comments, and continues to allegedly block people who speak out on her account.
A Statement from Sophie
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 | 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. 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, 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.
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.
