SONIA Gandhi went from a small Italian village to the heart of power in the world's most populous nation, becoming the matriarch of a political dynasty which has shaped much of independent India's history.
Now, the famously private 79-year-old is to publish her memoir, "Belonging: A Journey of Love", offering an account of a life shaped by what she has called "love, duty, loss and finding a place to belong."
The book, out Tuesday, arrives as the Congress party she once led seeks to regain ground, with her son Rahul back in the spotlight following youth-led protests against Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist government.
Born in 1946 into an Italian Catholic family, Sonia's roots have made her a frequent target of nationalist criticism.
