New Delhi, Sept. 4: HarperCollins India has announced that it will publish Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, on November 10, bringing clarity to the book’s publication after recent controversy over its Indian publisher.
The publishing house confirmed the release in a post on X, describing Belonging: A Journey of Love as one of the most anticipated political memoirs in recent years. It said the memoir presents a personal account centred on themes of love, identity, duty and belonging while offering an insider’s perspective on India’s journey.
The announcement follows reports of uncertainty surrounding the memoir after Penguin Random House India did not proceed with its publication. Reports had suggested the decision stemmed from disagreements over proposed editorial changes.
Penguin Random House India, however, rejected that account in a statement, saying it was not the publisher of Belonging in India and that claims it declined to publish the memoir because the author refused editorial changes did not accurately reflect the circumstances.
The publisher said fact-checking and providing editorial recommendations form part of its standard publishing process and are undertaken in the best interests of a book. It added that throughout the discussions it had remained willing and keen to publish the memoir.
Penguin Random House India also said it would not comment further on confidential discussions with the author.
Meanwhile, an online description of the memoir on Amazon presents the book as a narrative that combines personal experiences with political developments. It describes the work as the story of love, family and India.
According to the description, the memoir traces Sonia Gandhi’s journey from a small village in Italy to becoming a political figure in India with international recognition. It begins in Cambridge, England, where Sonia Maino, then a 19-year-old student, met Rajiv Gandhi in 1965. Rajiv Gandhi later became her husband and was the grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, independent India’s first Prime Minister.
With HarperCollins India confirming the publication, Belonging: A Journey of Love is scheduled to reach readers in India on November 10, 2026.
