The book was first published in Polish as My z Jedwabnego (2004, "Jedwabne:

Battlefield of Memory").[2][3] It was next published in French under the title Le

Crime et le Silence: Jedwabne 1941, la mémoire d'un pogrom dans la Pologne
d'aujourd'hui (2011) and won the European Book Prize.[4] The English translation by
Alissa Valles was published in 2015.[2][5]

In writing her book Bikont was inspired by Jan. T. Gross' pioneering study on the
subject (Neighbors: The Destruction of the Jewish Community in Jedwabne, Poland,
2001). One of the novel areas she explores is the reaction of Jedwabne villagers to
Gross' revelations, what one of the reviewers called "the early stage of the
Jedwabne debate".[6] One of the themes of her book is the lingering antisemitism
present in modern-day Jedwabne, where a number of inhabitants were unwilling to
take part in her research project and yet others were afraid to be seen speaking to
her.[2][3][7] Readings of her book in Poland have been picketed by Polish
nationalists.[8]

The book is structured with interposing chapters of Bikont's diary (written in the
years 2000-2003) and journalistic reportage.[7][9] Pursuing some leads and
interviews, Bikont traveled among others to United States, Israel, Costa Rica and
Argentina.[2][7]