A month after announcing the publication of former Congress president memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, HarperCollins India has shared excerpts from the book ahead of its November 10 release.
A social media post by the publisher on Friday offers a glimpse into how Sonia Gandhi made India her home after marrying former prime minister and becoming part of the politically influential Nehru-Gandhi family.
The excerpts focus on food and family meals as some of the experiences through which she gradually became familiar with her new surroundings. They describe how everyday Indian dishes became part of her life after she moved from Italy to India.
One of the excerpts recalls tandoori chicken as among the first Indian dishes Sonia Gandhi tried with Rajiv Gandhi. The book describes the dish as “bright red, slightly charred and set her mouth on fire”.
It also offers a glimpse of the meals she later shared with her Indian family. Of Italian descent, Sonia Gandhi became familiar with a typical north Indian spread that included rice, phulkas, vegetables and meat dishes, served on thalis.
“In time, she began to enjoy her meals with her family: rice, phulkas, a vegetable dish, and mutton, fish or chicken, served on thalis. And arhar dal, every day,” the excerpt stated.
The excerpts use food as a way of illustrating how familiar routines and experiences helped Sonia Gandhi adapt to life in India.
“How does a country become a part of you? It happens slowly, as the things that once felt unfamiliar become part of everyday life,” one of the snippets read.
In another social media post accompanying the excerpts, HarperCollins India described the book’s themes through the relationship between family, personal experiences and public life.
“The unfamiliar becomes familiar. The familiar becomes loved. Love grows into responsibility. And that is belonging,” the post read.
“Moving between love and loss, family and power, private life and public duty, Belonging is @SoniaGandhi’s account of an extraordinary life – and of a changing India. Belonging releases on November 10, 2026,” HarperCollins India added.
Titled Belonging: A Journey of Love, Sonia Gandhi’s memoir is scheduled to be released by HarperCollins India on November 10, 2026.
The excerpts shared by the publisher offer a glimpse into her early experiences in India, her relationship with food and the family life she shared with Rajiv Gandhi and other members of the Nehru-Gandhi family.
