‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’: Sonia Gandhi Memoir To Release on November 10; Reflects on Love, Loss and Politics

Sonia Gandhi's memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, will be published on November 10, 2026, publisher Alfred A Knopf announced on Tuesday, August 18. The book will examine Gandhi's marriage into the Nehru-Gandhi family, the personal tragedies that shaped her life and her eventual entry into Indian politics.

Sonia Gandhi (79) said the memoir was an attempt to look back on six decades of her life in India and the political and social changes she witnessed. She also writes about the assassinations of her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi and husband Rajiv Gandhi, her own political journey and the decision to decline the Congress party's offer to become prime minister. Sonia Gandhi Vande Mataram Row: BJP Alleges Objection, Congress Says She Wanted Chair for Mallikarjun Kharge (Video).

‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’: Sonia Gandhi Memoir To Release on Nov 10

When I see Sonia Ji, I wonder how a woman who left one world for another, only to be met with such grief, has carried herself with this much composure.

She lost her husband in the most tragic way possible, and had her life, her background, and every intention and action picked… pic.twitter.com/MCSx6GFIQv

— Pawan Khera 🇮🇳 ಪವನ್ ಖೇರಾ (@Pawankhera) August 18, 2026

Pawan Khera Reacts To Sonia Gandhi Memoir

Congress leader Pawan Khera welcomed the announcement on X, reflecting on Gandhi's personal journey and political career. "When I see Sonia Ji, I wonder how a woman who left one world for another, only to be met with such grief, has carried herself with this much composure. She lost her husband in the most tragic way possible, and had her life, her background, and every intention and action picked apart - all while raising two young adults and carrying forward her husband's unfinished political legacy. She stayed, never played the victim, and never let the cruelty or bitterness she experienced define her. She maintained a dignified silence."

Khera also highlighted Gandhi's role in the Congress's two election victories. "She led the Congress to two resounding victories in 2004 and 2009. And raised two individuals who are not just intelligent, but kind, principled, humble and resilient." He added: "She cannot be reduced to being "the Italian-Indian politician" and "the matriarch of the Gandhi family."" Khera concluded: "She is a strong woman with nerves of steel. And she deserves to be seen as a person."

Sonia Gandhi On Writing Her Memoir

In a statement issued through Knopf, Gandhi said, "Much has been written about my family, but few narratives were able to reach into the truth of their motivations, their actions and even their very human failings. In many ways, this book is a homage to their humanness. My story also offers readers a unique perspective of the social and political changes I have witnessed for six decades in the beautiful country of my belonging."

Gandhi said writing about her life was not an easy process because it required her to revisit deeply personal experiences. "Writing about my life did not come easily to me. It meant opening myself up, sharing moments and experiences I had always held deep inside." She added, "It was heartbreak and loss that threw me into the public world of politics. Up till then I had guarded my privacy fiercely."

From Italy To The Nehru-Gandhi Family

Gandhi was born in Italy and was studying in Cambridge, England, when she met Rajiv Gandhi. Rajiv was the grandson of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the son of Indira Gandhi, who became India's first woman prime minister.

Gandhi married Rajiv and eventually became part of one of India's most prominent political families. Her memoir traces that transition from her early life in Italy to her decades in India.

Gandhi said, "Yet as I gradually removed myself from the political sphere and looked back at all I had seen, the thread of love and loyalty that wove through my story began to define itself, from the simplicity of my childhood in small-town Italy, to the complexity of my years in India as the wife of Rajiv Gandhi and the daughter-in-law of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi."

Indira Gandhi And Rajiv Gandhi Assassinations

A major part of Gandhi's story concerns the two political assassinations that transformed her life. Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984, after which Rajiv Gandhi became prime minister. Seven years later, Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated.

Gandhi later entered politics, eventually becoming the longest-serving president of the Indian National Congress. She also declined her party's offer to become prime minister. The Congress subsequently lost power to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party in 2014.

Gandhi's Political Legacy

Gandhi's political career became closely linked with the Congress party's return to power in 2004 and 2009. Her children, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, remain active in politics. Both are members of the Lok Sabha from the Congress party. The memoir is expected to offer Gandhi's personal perspective on the political family she married into and the events that shaped her public life.

Sonia Gandhi's ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’ is scheduled for publication on November 10, 2026. The memoir will focus on Gandhi's personal experiences, her relationship with the Nehru-Gandhi family, the losses she experienced and her journey into public life.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 18, 2026 09:28 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).