Sonia Gandhi’s Book Sparks Major Demand Across India
Sonia Gandhi’s memoir, Belonging: A Journey of Love, has generated considerable excitement among readers since its release on November 10. Bookstores across the country have reported strong initial sales, with several retailers witnessing an unusually large turnout of customers eager to purchase the book.
The popularity of the memoir has even been compared to the excitement surrounding the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, highlighting the scale of public interest in Gandhi's personal account.
The book, published in India by HarperCollins after Penguin Random House India withdrew from the project, is attracting attention from readers exploring different ways to obtain a copy, including traditional bookstores and quick-commerce platforms.
An interesting example emerged when a reader shared on social media that her Amazon pre-order had been delayed. She instead ordered the memoir through Blinkit, received it within 19 minutes and paid ₹849 rather than its original price of ₹1,299.
Bookstores Compare the Excitement to Harry Potter
At Faqir Chand bookstore in Delhi's Khan Market, the memoir recorded impressive sales on its opening day. Abhinav Bamhi, 28, whose family owns the bookstore, revealed that the shop initially ordered approximately 500 copies and sold more than 100 on the first day itself. Following the encouraging response, another order for 350 copies was placed.
Bamhi recalled that the last time he witnessed comparable excitement was during the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. He remembered readers gathering outside the bookstore early in the morning, eagerly waiting for a book they had anticipated for months.
According to him, the enthusiasm surrounding Sonia Gandhi's memoir is the first comparable experience he has witnessed since then. Even recent popular releases, including Arundhati Roy's Mother Mary Comes to Me, did not generate a similar response.
Aakash Gupta, CEO of Crossword Bookstores, which operates approximately 150 outlets across 47 cities, also described the memoir's launch as an extraordinary event.
He said the response to Sonia Gandhi's book had exceeded the excitement surrounding several other major releases this year, including Odyssey, Dune and the latest book by Sarah J. Maas.
Crossword Records Thousands of Orders
The launch required extensive coordination at Crossword bookstores because of strict publication restrictions. Retailers were not permitted to open the cartons before 10 am on the release day.
Despite these limitations, the chain managed to place the book on shelves at 10 am in more than 100 stores. Other locations received their copies later that day or the following morning because of transportation delays.
Gupta revealed that several customers were already waiting outside bookstores when they opened.
Crossword received between 1,000 and 2,000 pre-orders through its website and has subsequently placed two additional orders to meet the growing demand. According to Gupta, sales are approaching 8,000 copies, with expectations of crossing 10,000 in the following week.
The strongest response has come from urban locations and northern India, which Gupta described as relatively more politically engaged. The book has also received encouraging interest in Kerala.
Meanwhile, Champaka bookstore in Bengaluru has reported consistent customer interest, along with several advance orders.
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Who Is Buying Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir?
Despite its popularity, the hardcover edition is priced at ₹1,299, making it a relatively expensive purchase for some readers.
Bamhi explained that several younger customers show interest in the book but reconsider their purchase after seeing the price. Some decide to buy it later or look for alternative sources.
According to him, the majority of buyers are between 25 and 40 years old. They largely include working professionals, corporate employees and lawyers, along with older readers.
Among those purchasing the memoir was Supreme Court advocate Akbar Khan, who bought a copy from Bahrisons bookstore in Khan Market.
He described Sonia Gandhi as an influential and resilient personality who has faced years of public criticism. Khan also highlighted her journey from Italy to India, emphasising her acceptance of Indian culture and society.
Bamhi believes the growing political awareness among younger Indians has contributed significantly to the book's popularity. He observed that even people who do not participate directly in political activities are increasingly interested in political discussions and developments.
This growing engagement, he suggested, has created a favourable atmosphere for the memoir.
Why Sonia Gandhi’s Autobiography Has Attracted So Much Attention
The response to Belonging: A Journey of Love is particularly noteworthy because political autobiographies have traditionally had a relatively limited market in India.
According to Crossword CEO Aakash Gupta, political memoirs enjoy considerable popularity in Western markets, but books written by India's most prominent political figures are comparatively uncommon.
He believes readers have been waiting for an opportunity to understand Sonia Gandhi's experiences and perspective directly, rather than relying entirely on public commentary and political narratives.
The memoir's appeal therefore extends beyond ordinary book buyers, attracting readers interested in politics, history and the personal experiences of influential public figures.
Blinkit’s Heavy Discount Raises Questions Among Booksellers
While traditional bookstores are experiencing strong demand, the availability of the memoir at a significantly reduced price on Blinkit has created concerns among retailers.
The platform listed the hardcover at ₹849, offering a discount of ₹450 against its maximum retail price of ₹1,299.
Aakash Gupta questioned the commercial logic behind such steep discounts, suggesting that quick-commerce companies might be using the book as a loss leader to attract customers.
He argued that books should not be treated like ordinary commodities and that the value of a literary work goes beyond its printed price.
However, Gupta clarified that the discounting has not significantly affected Crossword's business. He also acknowledged that the bookstore chain occasionally collaborates with quick-commerce platforms.
He maintained that retailers operate within a competitive market and cannot prevent other businesses from offering discounts.
For independent booksellers, however, the situation presents a more difficult challenge.
Bamhi acknowledged that smaller bookstores have limited influence when competing with large multinational platforms. Independent retailers largely depend on loyal customers who continue to support physical bookstores despite the availability of cheaper online alternatives.
Blinkit had not responded to questions regarding its pricing strategy at the time of the report.
Pirated PDF of the Memoir Circulates Online
Apart from discounted online sales, the circulation of an unauthorised digital copy has emerged as another concern surrounding the memoir.
Pankaj P Singh, owner of Browser bookstore in Chandigarh, revealed that a pirated PDF version of Belonging: A Journey of Love, reportedly without a watermark, is being widely shared.
Despite the availability of the unauthorised digital version, Singh said physical copies continue to sell well.
He suggested that not every interested reader has access to the circulating PDF and that many buyers are willing to purchase the printed edition regardless of its price.
However, he expects the current excitement to gradually decline over the next few weeks. In his view, the memoir is the kind of publication that quickly becomes a major topic of public discussion, resulting in a temporary surge in sales.
HarperCollins India had not responded to questions concerning either the circulation of the pirated PDF or the heavy discounts offered through quick-commerce platforms.
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Sonia Gandhi’s Memoir Creates a Bookstore Moment
For booksellers, the remarkable opening response has provided an encouraging reminder of the excitement that major book releases can generate among readers.
Although the long-term sales performance of Belonging: A Journey of Love remains uncertain, its launch has already created a memorable moment for India's bookstore industry.
Crossword CEO Aakash Gupta is also looking forward to the arrival of the upcoming Harry Potter television series in December, hoping it will bring another wave of customers into physical bookstores.
He believes visiting bookstores was an essential part of the Harry Potter experience, with readers enjoying the atmosphere and excitement surrounding new releases.
For a few days in November, Sonia Gandhi's memoir has recreated some of that enthusiasm, demonstrating that a major literary release can still bring readers together and generate remarkable interest in physical bookstores.