HarperCollins India on Friday announced that it will publish Congress leader Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, in India on November 10.
“One of the most anticipated political memoirs of our time, Belonging is a dramatic and deeply personal story of love, identity, duty and belonging, and offers a rare insider’s view of India’s journey,” HarperCollins said in a statement on X.
The announcement ends weeks of speculation over the India publication of the much-awaited memoir. US-based Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Penguin Random House, had earlier announced that the book would be released worldwide on November 10.
The India publishing rights had attracted attention after Penguin Random House India (PRHI) said it had been keen to publish the memoir but discussions reached an impasse over “a particular issue”. PRHI is the Indian subsidiary of global publishing group Penguin Random House.
“As a publisher, it is both our prerogative and our responsibility to fact-check and provide authors with recommendations that are in the best interests of their books. This is a normal part of the publishing process,” Penguin Random House India had said.
It added that it remained “willing and keen” to publish the book but would not comment further on confidential discussions with the author.
Belonging traces Sonia Gandhi’s journey from her childhood in post-war Veneto, Italy, to Cambridge, where she met Rajiv Gandhi in 1965, and later to India after their marriage.
The memoir recounts her early years in the Nehru-Gandhi family, her relationship with former prime minister Indira Gandhi and her adjustment to life in India, including learning Hindi and adapting to Indian food, clothing and culture.
It also revisits the tragedies that reshaped the family and Sonia Gandhi’s life — the death of Sanjay Gandhi in a plane crash, Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984 and Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in 1991.
The book goes on to chronicle her decision to remain in India after her husband’s death, her eventual entry into active politics and her rise to become the longest-serving president of the Indian National Congress.
It also offers her account of the political developments following the 2004 Lok Sabha election, when the Congress-led alliance came to power and Sonia Gandhi declined the prime minister’s post. She instead continued to lead the Congress and the coalition that went on to govern India for a decade.
According to HarperCollins, the memoir combines Gandhi’s personal story with an insider’s perspective on India’s political, economic and social transformation over several decades, while exploring themes of family, identity, duty and belonging.
Sonia Gandhi is currently a Member of the Rajya Sabha. Her son Rahul Gandhi and daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra are Members of the Lok Sabha, with Rahul serving as Leader of the Opposition.
