Caption Sonia Gandhi shares her story ahead of memoir release (Img: Dynamite News)
New Delhi: Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi has said her upcoming memoir, "Belonging: A Journey of Love", will present her own account of events and experiences that have shaped her life. The book, scheduled for release on November 10, may prompt mixed reactions, she acknowledged on Tuesday.
“There’s bound to be some tamasha when this book comes out,” Gandhi said in a video, referring to the response she expects when the memoir reaches readers.
She explained that several accounts of her life had appeared over the years, but some contained inaccuracies. Writing the book gave her an opportunity to set out what she remembers and believes actually happened.
“Well, I felt that since a lot had been written about me and a lot of it was not quite correct, you know, it was either invented or exaggerated. So it gave me a feel of being able to now put down my story and describe facts and things as they were, as they really were,” she said.
Gandhi stressed that she wanted to tell her story rather than present it as simply another version of events.
“Or let us say my, not version, I wouldn't say version, but my story. People have different views.”
She also acknowledged that the memoir might alter how some readers perceive her, while others could become more critical.
“Some people may change their view about me. Some people's view may become worse, but that's what it is. That's what happens when you write a book or when you are in public life,” she said.
There’s bound to be some tamasha when this book comes out. After all, others have spent decades telling my “story”, now it’s my turn. https://t.co/jDy5vBI8ey
— Sonia Gandhi (@SoniaGandhi) October 27, 2026
Gandhi also touched upon the circumstances surrounding her husband, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, becoming prime minister. She recalled opposing the move when he was asked to take up the post.
“I don't know if I should tell the whole story,” she said before referring to the episode.
The memoir traces her journey from childhood in Italy to her life in India as Rajiv Gandhi’s wife and the daughter-in-law of former prime minister Indira Gandhi.
The book also revisits major events that shaped Gandhi’s life, including Indira Gandhi’s assassination in 1984 and Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination in 1991. It examines her eventual entry into politics and her experiences over more than six decades in India.
Through the memoir, Gandhi seeks to reflect on the relationships, personal losses and experiences that shaped her sense of identity and belonging, while offering readers a perspective on a life that has long been in the public eye.
