8 Books Indira Gandhi Read Growing Up

8 Books Indira Gandhi Read Growing Up, Long before Indira Gandhi became India’s first woman Prime Minister, she was a curious young girl with a deep love for books – nurtured by her father, Jawaharlal Nehru. From The Life of the Bee to Far Away and Long Ago, these are the books that left a lasting mark on Indira’s mind. The Life of the Bee by Maurice Maeterlinck, Sent from Naini Jail in 1930, this gift to Indira from her father Jawaharlal Nehru came with a tender note, “Indira Priyadarshini, Lots and lots of love from Daddy.” Maeterlinck’s poetic reflection on bees – and life – sparked her love for nature and deep thought. She cherished it enough to write back, in a letter from Calcutta, “I have enjoyed reading The Life of the Bee… I have also begun The Life of the Ant (also by Maurice Maeterlinck). But as I have read only a few pages I have not formed my opinion about it…” Fabre’s Book of Insects by Jean Henri Fabre, Not just a book – it was a lens through which young Indira learned to observe the world. Rich with stories of insects in nature, myth, and folklore, this beautifully illustrated volume stayed with her for life. As she once told an American interviewer: “The Faber Book of Insects and Maeterlinck’s books on bees, ants… also contributed to the shaping of my personality. They inculcated the habit of close observations of everything around and reinforced what my mother used to tell me of the links between all creatures.” , The Book of Baby Birds by E.J Detmold, Found in her personal library with a handwritten note on the opening page, “ Indira Nehru, Calcutta, 5/1/29.” This book, filled with tender bird illustrations, hints at a childhood steeped in nature and quiet curiosity. What Dare I Think by Julian Huxley, Part of the 60+ titles Indira read in 1932, this bold work on science, ethics, and belief encouraged her to question and reason. In What Dare I Think, Huxley explored heredity, human nature, and religion – offering a worldview grounded in scientific humanism that likely appealed to Indira’s rational, curious mind. The Life of a Butterfly by Friedrich Schnack, A lyrical blend of science and storytelling, this book enchanted Indira with its vivid portraits of butterflies and moths, from the Painted Lady to the Death’s Head. Much like Maeterlinck’s bees, Schnack’s butterflies stirred her sense of wonder, deepening her fascination with nature’s quiet transformations. , The Swallows and Amazons Series by Arthur Ransome, For a solitary young girl growing up in turbulent times, this series opened a door to adventure and companionship. Set in the English countryside, its stories of children sailing and exploring sparked Indira’s imagination—and quietly instilled values of courage, freedom, and connection to the natural world. Far Away and Long Ago by William Henry Hudson, Set in the wild pampas of Argentina, Hudson’s memoir drew Indira into a world of freedom, birdsong and fading landscapes. In his descriptions, she may have found both comfort and mirror to her own solitary and nature-loving childhood. Flowering Earth by D. C Peattie, Unlike the books from her childhood, Flowering Earth was a discovery Indira made in her early twenties while recovering from illness in Switzerland. She wrote to Nehru, “Is it not wonderful, the oneness of life?” marvelling at the interconnectedness of all living things. In what was a role reversal, Nehru responded to her admitting that he found her account of D.C. Peattie’s book fascinating and that he would try and get the book