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Every book Julia Ioffe recommended on podcasts
Julia Ioffe appeared on the podcast Conversations with Tyler for an episode centered on Russian women, missing men, and the roots of autocracy. During the discussion, Ioffe shared several thoughtful book recommendations that reflect her deep engagement with Russian literature and culture. First, she recommended Zuleikha by Guzel Yakhina, translated by Lisa C. Hayden, praising it as an impactful novel about a Tatar woman living through the 1920s and 1930s when her village is collectivized and residents are forced into collective farms. Second, Ioffe recommended Mary by Vladimir Nabokov. She noted that it is a book she has frequently discussed with her friends from Russia, many of whom are currently in exile, deeply miss their homeland, and yearn to return. Through these recommendations on Conversations with Tyler, Julia Ioffe provided listeners with profound literary entry points into understanding the historical traumas, cultural displacement, and emotional landscapes experienced by Russians across different generations and political eras.
Books recommended by Julia Ioffe
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Zuleikha
Zuleikha by Guzel Yakhina is a sweeping historical novel that examines the dramatic and often harrowing transformation of rural life in the Soviet Union during the early twentieth century.
Recommended“The first I would recommend is Zuleikha by Guzel Yakhina. It’s a novel about a Tatar woman in the 1920s and ’30s when her village is collectivized and people are forced into collective farms.”
Where to get it
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Машенька / Подвиг (Glory / Mary)
Mary is an early immigration-themed novel by Vladimir Nabokov that explores displacement, memory, and nostalgia.
Recommended“Then, the third that I would recommend is Mary by Vladimir Nabokov. It’s a book I’ve been discussing a lot with my friends from Russia, so many of whom are in exile and who miss home and want to go home.”
Where to get it
Books Julia Ioffe wrote
Appearances
| Episode | Podcast | Date | Books |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julia Ioffe on Russian Women, Missing Men, and the Roots of Autocracy | Conversations with Tyler | 2026-08-05 | 2 |