NEW DELHI: Readers lined up at prominent bookstores in central Delhi on Tuesday to pick up copies of ‘Belonging: A Journey of Love’, the memoir of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, with booksellers describing a strong first day.

The sellers also underlined the significance of this demand as it results in higher sales and footfall, ultimately driving up the overall business of brick-and-mortar shops.

"The response for the book on the first day has been spectacular. Mrs Gandhi doesn't do interviews, so this book is as close as we will get to a peek into her journey. Since she is a public figure and belongs to one of the most prominent political families, readers have shown great interest in the book," Anuj Bahri, owner of Bahrisons in Khan Market, said.

He said the Khan Market outlet has received at least 1,000 copies, which are likely to be sold soon. "On the first day, around 300 copies are likely to be sold," he told PTI.

He said the book has drawn the kind of attention that only a few recent titles have, among them the book by former Supreme Court judge Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Arundhati Roy's ‘Mother Mary Comes To Me’.

A buyer who picked up a fresh copy of the memoir said Gandhi has guarded her personal life well despite being a public figure for decades. "Now, this is a chance for readers to get a glimpse of her political and personal life," he said.

Another reader said it would take at least a week to get through the 500-plus-page book, but he was keen to know the finer details of her life.

"There are going to be polar reactions to this book, but for curious readers who do not want to see it through a political lens, this is going to be a fun read and a great insight into the Gandhi family," the reader said.

At Fakir Chand Book Store, also in Khan Market, buyers came in steadily through the day. "We are expecting to sell at least 150-200 books on the first day," Abhinav Bamhi, fourth-generation owner of the bookstore, told PTI.

He said such demand for hard copies is good for bookstores as it brings people back to brick-and-mortar shops.

Oxford Bookstore on Barakhamba Road near Connaught Place also saw people placing pre-orders and buying the book.

"We will receive at least 100 copies in a couple of days. There has been a great deal of enthusiasm after a while for a non-fiction book," Lakshman Singh Bisht, manager of the store, said.

According to Bisht, the controversy surrounding the change of publishers and political statements in the book has also helped spike readers’ curiosity, which is ultimately resulting in a good response.

In the 500-plus-page memoir, Gandhi traces her life from her birth in Italy and her years in the UK to meeting her husband and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, moving to India and her eventual rise to power.

She also writes about her relationship with her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi, the loss of her first-born child and her treatment for breast cancer.

Gandhi discusses the lessons she took from the Bhagavad Gita, recalls having had little real contact with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying their differences were ideological and not personal.

The memoir also features pictures of Gandhi's parents, siblings and life with Rajiv Gandhi.

The booksellers said the exact sales figures would be available with the publishers.