‘Love grows into responsibility’: Sonia Gandhi’s memoir offers a glimpse into life with the Nehru- Gandhi family

Ahead of the November 10 release of Belonging: A Journey of Love, HarperCollins India has shared excerpts from Sonia Gandhi’s memoir. The passages recall her early experiences with Indian food, including tandoori chicken and everyday meals with Rajiv Gandhi and the Nehru-Gandhi family.

A month after announcing the publication of former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s 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 Rajiv Gandhi 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.

From tandoori chicken to arhar dal: Sonia Gandhi's early food experiences

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.

Sonia Gandhi's memoir explores the idea of belonging

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.

When will Sonia Gandhi's memoir be released?

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.

About the Author

Anjali Thakur is a Senior Assistant Editor with Mint, reporting on trending news, entertainment and health, with a focus on stories driving digital conversations. Her work involves spotting early signals across news cycles and social media, sharpening stories for SEO and Google Discover, and mentoring young editors in digital-first newsroom practices. She is known for turning fast-moving developments—whether news-driven or culture-led—into clear, tightly edited journalism without compromising editorial rigour.<br><br> Before joining Mint, she was Deputy News Editor at NDTV.com, where she led the Trending section and covered viral news, breaking developments and human-interest stories. She has also worked as Chief Sub-Editor at India.com (Zee Media) and as Senior Correspondent with Exchange4media and Hindustan Times’ HT City, reporting on media, advertising, entertainment, health, lifestyle and popular culture.<br><br> Anjali holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Miranda House, and is currently pursuing an MBA, strengthening her understanding of business strategy and digital media economics. Her writing balances newsroom discipline with a clear instinct for what resonates with readers.