Unmarried at 24 - and with no prospects in sight - Anju is a great source of worry to her family. Despite the best efforts of relatives, fortune-tellers, and matchmakers to arrange a marriage, she can't seem to find a husband - or at least one she's willing to marry. Quickly becoming a spinster by her culture's standards, she is eager to escape the community that views her as a failure. After pleading with her parents for permission, she boards a plane bound for the United States and a dream of a career. And while husband-hunting isn't any easier in New York City, at least she's got company.

In this sparkling debut, an unconventional heroine defies tradition by making a marriage between the strict customs of India and the wild freedoms of America to find her own happy ending. Hilarious and heart-warming, For Matrimonial Purposes proves that, while the search for love takes many forms, the heartbreak and exhilaration are universal.