‘One of the greatest love stories of our time’: Rahul, Priyanka Gandhi on Sonia’s memoir

New Delhi: For Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi’s upcoming memoir is not just a book about a political life. It is the story of a woman they watched rebuild her life after losing her husband and, as Priyanka Gandhi put it, “one of the greatest love stories of our time.”

On Thursday, Rajiv Gandhi’s 82nd birth anniversary, both Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi shared deeply personal messages about their mother and her memoir, ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’.

Rahul Gandhi said he was proud of Sonia Gandhi for finally telling her story, recalling the years he and Priyanka spent watching her face life after Rajiv Gandhi’s death.

“Mama, I last saw you and Papa together more than 35 years ago,” Rahul wrote on X.

He said that only he and Priyanka truly knew what their mother had gone through.

“Only Priyanka and I really know what you have been through, and how difficult your life after Papa truly was,” he wrote.

For Rahul, seeing his mother put those experiences into words was particularly meaningful because of how private she has always been.

He said he was happy that her story would finally be read by the millions of people who love her, adding that he knew how difficult it must have been for someone as private as Sonia Gandhi to open up about her life.

And on Rajiv Gandhi’s birthday, Rahul said he could picture his father looking down proudly at Sonia.

‘One of the greatest love stories of our time’

Priyanka Gandhi offered an equally personal view of the memoir.

She said she believed Rajiv Gandhi would have been “especially proud” of Sonia for writing her story with so much heart and honesty.

But for Priyanka, the book is ultimately about something even bigger than the political history surrounding her family.

“For me, it’s one of the greatest love stories of our time,” she said.

Priyanka added that she felt privileged to have witnessed that love first-hand and was happy that her mother’s book would allow others to know Sonia Gandhi for who she truly is.

Describing her mother, Priyanka called her a “brave, loyal, compassionate woman”, while also saying she was “tough as nails” and “great fun when she wants to be”.

She said Sonia’s life had been a testament to her love for both her husband and her country.

“Love you, ma and so, so proud of you,” Priyanka wrote.

What is Sonia Gandhi’s memoir about?

Publisher Alfred A. Knopf has announced that ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’ will be published on November 10, 2026.

The memoir traces Sonia Gandhi’s journey from her childhood in post-war Italy to her meeting Rajiv Gandhi in Cambridge and their marriage in 1968.

It also revisits some of the most painful chapters of her life, including the assassinations of her mother-in-law, former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, and Rajiv Gandhi.

Sonia Gandhi was 19 when she met Rajiv Gandhi in Cambridge in 1965. The two married on February 25, 1968.

The book’s cover features a black-and-white photograph of Sonia Gandhi from her youth.

After decades in public life, the memoir marks a rare decision by Sonia Gandhi to open up about the personal journey behind the public figure.

With ANI inputs