Sonia Gandhi was an unexpected face in politics when she became the president of the Congress Party, the main opposition party in India, in 1998; a figure that still seemed unknown and mysterious to many.
From Love to Power
Sonia Gandhi, born in Italy and the wife of Rajiv Gandhi, the former Prime Minister of India, had stayed away from the center of politics for years; until she took over the leadership of a party that had been a key player in Indian politics for a large part of independent India's history.
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In the early months of Sonia Gandhi's leadership, India Today magazine described her as "a mystery to her party members"; a personality that was hard to understand and known for her short and concise remarks with a foreign accent, according to the publication.
However, behind that quiet and cautious exterior, India Today saw a politician who was gradually learning how to wield power. She listened to different viewpoints, gathered information, and then made her own final decisions.
Sonia Gandhi's Memoir
Now, nearly three decades after the start of a political journey that made her the most powerful figure in the Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi recounts her story. This 79-year-old woman has faced remarkable personal losses throughout her life; including the assassination of Indira Gandhi, her mother-in-law, and her husband Rajiv Gandhi.
Sonia Gandhi's autobiography titled "Belonging: A Journey in Love," which is set to be published in November, is likely to be one of the most read and talked-about political books in India. She has stated that she wrote this memoir to be "a testament to the journey of my heart amidst the gentle joys and deep sorrows that have shaped my life.
The book begins in Cambridge in 1965, when Sonia Maino, a 19-year-old Italian student, falls in love with Rajiv Gandhi. This "revealing" narrative looks warmly at her life and attempts to answer larger questions about her entry into politics.
Indian politics underwent many changes after Sonia's decision to enter the political arena. Initially not taken seriously as a "housewife," she gradually demonstrated that she could be an effective leader. Now, many are waiting to see whether Sonia Gandhi's memoir will reveal new details about her decisions and challenges in the world of Indian politics.
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