Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbaugh. It is shocking how long the war in

Ukraine has gone on, considering how many people thought the country would fall within days

of Russia's invasion. Yulia Mendel has had an inside view of the whole thing as press secretary

to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

She's got a memoir out now titled The Fight of Our Lives, My Time with Zelensky, Ukraine's

Battle for Democracy, and what it means for the world.

And in this interview with NPR's May Louise Kelly, she talks about what she's lost in the war.

And also, why she still believes in Ukraine.

In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.

Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors.

On our new show, Sources and Methods.

NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people, helping you understand why distant

events matter here at home.

Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.

On a Saturday afternoon, in May 2019, a young Ukrainian journalist named Yulia Mendel got a phone call.

The caller was a headhunter who wanted to know whether Mendel would be willing to work around the clock.

And the job the headhunter had in mind, press secretary to the brand new president of Ukraine, Vladimir Zelensky.

Well, a few days later, Mendel was summoned to Zelensky's office for a job interview.

I told him if a man are from poor background from some Ukrainian provincial city can become the president of the country in a fully democratic way and that a girl from the same poor background can become his pres secretary, then what is it, if not a Ukrainian dream?

Mendel spent the next two years as his spokesperson. She says even though she and Zelensky shared a vision for their country, it could be hard to break through in meetings with his advisors.

Imagine me, 32-year-old female sitting at the table with all those men who were richer,

were more powerful, were actually greedy to influence the president.

...