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Sonia Gandhi’s memoir recounts her remarkable personal and political journey from a small town in Italy to becoming one of the most influential figures in Indian politics, offering insights into her family life, political experiences and decades-long association with the Nehru-Gandhi family.
Sonia Gandhi, 79, has published her memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, which was released on November 10. The book offers a personal account of her life, family relationships, political experiences and the major events that shaped modern Indian politics.
Born in 1946 into an Italian Catholic family near Turin, Italy, Sonia Gandhi met Rajiv Gandhi in 1965 while studying English in Cambridge, Britain. Rajiv was studying at the University of Cambridge. She has recalled that their relationship began at a small Greek restaurant in the English university city.
The couple married in New Delhi in 1968, and Sonia moved to India, becoming part of the Nehru-Gandhi family. Her memoir describes her relationship with her mother-in-law, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and her experiences of adjusting to life in a prominent political family.
The book also revisits some of the most painful moments of her life, including the assassination of Indira Gandhi in 1984 and the killing of her husband, Rajiv Gandhi, in 1991. It recounts how these tragedies affected her family and eventually drew her into public life and politics.
Sonia Gandhi writes about several significant episodes in India’s political history, including the Emergency imposed by Indira Gandhi in 1975, the challenges faced by the Congress party and the changing political landscape over the decades.
After initially staying away from active politics, she entered public life in 1998 and became Congress president. Under her leadership, the party-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) won the 2004 general election. She subsequently declined the post of prime minister, while continuing to lead the Congress and play a central role in the ruling coalition.
In her memoir, Sonia describes the book as a personal rather than a political account, saying she wanted to present her family members as she knew them, including their motivations, struggles and shortcomings.
The memoir also reflects on her decades-long experience in India, questions of identity and belonging, and the country’s political transformation.
Its publication comes at a challenging time for the Congress party, which is seeking to regain political ground under the leadership of her son, Rahul Gandhi.
The book provides a rare glimpse into the private life of a political figure who has largely kept her personal experiences away from public scrutiny.
