Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir “Belonging: A Journey of Love”: Anticipated Release, Publishing Dispute, and Personal Reflections

Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi announced that her memoir, *Belonging: A Journey of Love*, will be published on November 10, 2026. She warned that readers might revise their view of her, a reaction she called inevitable for anyone who writes a book while in public life.

Hindustan Times

The announcement came on August 18. Gandhi also said she was “totally against” her husband Rajiv Gandhi becoming Prime Minister, a stance she will detail in the book.

CNN-News18

Penguin Random House India withdrew from the project over “differences over editorial changes.” Congress leaders alleged pressure to delete passages on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the RSS, and China-India border tensions. PRHI denied external pressure, citing routine editorial scrutiny. HarperCollins India later confirmed it would publish the Indian edition on the same date.

ThePrint

Gandhi said the memoir will begin with her post-war childhood in Veneto, Italy, recount her 1965 meeting with Rajiv Gandhi in Cambridge, and cover family tragedies—including the assassinations of Indira Gandhi (1984) and Rajiv Gandhi (1991)—as well as her own political path, notably declining the Prime Minister’s post after the 2004 election win.

Gentle, good-looking: Sonia Gandhi remembers husband Rajiv as she makes X debut CNN-News18Rajiv was very good-looking: Sonia Gandhi shares early memories with him on X debut Didn't want Rajiv to be PM: Sonia Gandhi says there will be tamasha over her book ThePrintCNN-News18When Sonia Maino Met Future PM Rajiv Gandhi at a Greek Restaurant and Married Him Three Years Later: Congress Leader Recalls How Her Love Story Began Ahead of Memoir Release "Was Very Good Looking": In Debut X Post, Sonia Gandhi Recalls How She First Met Rajiv Gandhi

HarperCollins India described the acquisition as “hard-won” and confirmed the November 10 release.

ThePrint

Congress leaders claim PRHI faced “governmental pressure” to remove critical sections on Modi, the RSS, and the border standoff, framing the dispute as a freedom-of-expression issue.

'Now it’s my turn’: Sonia Gandhi hints at ‘tamasha’ over her upcoming memoir 'Belonging'

Some sources cite alleged government pressure; PRHI attributes the stalemate to routine editorial disagreements and confidentiality constraints. No independent verification of external pressure has emerged.

ThePrint

• “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,” — Sonia Gandhi

Hindustan Times

• “People have different views. Some people may change their views about me. Some people's views about me may become worse but that's what happens when you write a book and when you are in public eye,” — Sonia Gandhi

'Now it’s my turn’: Sonia Gandhi hints at ‘tamasha’ over her upcoming memoir 'Belonging'

The memoir will be available worldwide on November 10, 2026, coinciding with Diwali. Observers expect a range of responses, from renewed admiration to heightened criticism, especially regarding her opposition to Rajiv Gandhi’s prime-ministerial appointment and the alleged editorial controversies. The simultaneous international and Indian releases by Alfred A. Knopf and HarperCollins India mark a notable moment in contemporary Indian political literature.

CNN-News18