Bestselling mystery writer Louise Penny has called off plans to promote her upcoming book in the United States, citing President Donald Trump’s tariff threats against Canada.
Penny, who is Canadian, has sold millions of copies of her 19-book Armand Gamache series, which takes place in the fictional village of Three Pines, said to be located in Quebec’s Eastern Townships near the Vermont border. Three Pines is a central character in the series — a cozy, welcoming place (even with all of the murders).
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The series draws heavily from real places in the townships where Penny lives. Neighboring Vermont often gets a nod in the books, reflecting the two regions’ close ties.
“I have visited friends, made friends, personally and professionally, with so many Americans,” Penny wrote in a message posted on social media and her website on Friday. “I have such respect, affection, for them. For you. But… enough. What is happening is not just a potential economic catastrophe for Canada and so many other nations, it is a moral wound.”
In solidarity with her fellow Canadians, Penny said for the first time in 20 years, she would not do in-person events in the U.S. tied to the latest Gamache novel, The Black Wolf, due out on Oct. 28. The book launch event, which was slated for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., will move to Ottawa, Canada’s capital.
The tour will conclude at the Haskell Free Library and Opera House in Derby Line, Vermont, and Stanstead, Quebec. Built in 1904, the building straddles the border between Quebec and Vermont. A date has not yet been announced.
“The Haskell was built by both countries as a symbol of our strong bonds of friendship,” Penny said. “It is the physical reflection of what we believe. That what happens politically is one thing, and transitory. What happens in our hearts is indestructible.”
Penny said she hopes American fans will attend the Canadian events.
“You will be welcomed with open arms," she said. "As friends. As fellow villagers of Three Pines. Where goodness, and decency, exist."
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