Princeton economist writes about arranged marriage in debut novel

Meena and Avi were the center of attention in the basement of an Ohio temple. It was their wedding. Avi delivered a passionate wedding toast—not about love, but about his campaign for local office. Meena was taken aback. 

“An arranged marriage is for everybody, not just for us,” Avi responded to her.

This is one of the first scenes in Varun Gauri’s debut fiction novel, For the Blessings of Jupiter and Venus, released on Oct. 8. A lecturer in public and international affairs at Princeton University, Gauri spent years writing the book, watching it evolve alongside his now 23-year-old daughter, who was a toddler when he first started writing it.

One of the primary themes is arranged marriages versus those based on love, a curiosity that stems from Gauri’s upbringing. He grew up observing his parents' arranged marriage and realized it was a foundational pillar in their relationship, keeping them rooted to home and traditions when they moved to Ohio.

While Gauri did not opt for an arranged marriage, he was curious about the contrasts between the two types of unions. He believes the lines between them are blurrier than many assume.

In Gauri’s novel, the protagonists are two liberal-minded individuals who have dated others before but still choose to enter an arranged marriage. 

Meena, cosmopolitan and disillusioned by a previously failed relationship, turns to the wisdom of her late father, who had advised her to consider arranged marriage. She finds a good-enough prospect: Avi, an Ohio-based politician grounded in tradition and family. The book alters between their points of view and blends in profound reflections on love, tradition, humor, and identity.

I spoke with Gauri to discuss the multiple themes in the book:

What was your research process like while writing the book? Did personal experiences play a role?

I watched movies, read books, and talked to people. The “arranged marriage industrial complex” is vast and complex, but yes, some of it comes from personal experience. I think it really boils down to this longing for love, which is present, especially in the current generation.

With love marriages, people tend to think it’s entirely about self-expression—that you get to choose freely based on what you want. But even in love marriages, there are many influences at play—your upbringing, psychology, genetics, and nowadays even algorithms doing the matching. So it’s not entirely about personal choice. 

The real difference is more about whether love is supposed to precede marriage or grow within it. One line from Meena’s father is, “An arranged marriage is an attitude toward time.” He also says that, sooner or later, every marriage becomes an arrangement. 

Whatever the type of marriage, you come to terms with closeness and distance. One of the book’s themes is that, on some level, your partner will always be a little bit of a stranger. 

In an arranged marriage, you might start out as strangers, but even in a love marriage, there’s a necessary distance. So, navigating marriage is often about finding a balance between intimacy and the mystery that keeps you both growing.

Did your career as an economist influence the novel, especially the characters?

Yes, in a few ways. My protagonist, Meena, works in economic consulting. She’s global and cosmopolitan and her family has lived all over the world, including Thailand. That kind of rootless existence, which I’ve experienced through traveling extensively for work, is something I wanted to explore in the novel. The desire to feel rooted somewhere definitely figures into the book.

On a broader level, the novel also touches on themes like nationalism and identity. There’s a sense of rising nationalism globally, which can feel like a reaction to rootlessness, but it can be restrictive. My book touches upon Hindu-Muslim issues, gender, and identity, too. 

At one point, Meena reflects on how people cling to their identities so tightly. She wishes we could wear them more loosely, like changing into pajamas at the end of the day. I think that attachment to identity is both a personal and political problem.

From a technical perspective, my field of behavioral economics has also influenced how I approach writing. I don’t have an MFA (master of fine arts), but I taught myself to write by taking workshops, attending conferences, and reading extensively. It has been interesting to find connections between behavioral economics and fiction writing.

There is this concept called fundamental attribution error in psychology. It’s the idea that when we make mistakes, we are quick to excuse ourselves, like I was running late because I couldn’t find an umbrella and it was raining and then the bus was late. But when we see others running late, we attribute it to the person like, “They don’t respect other people’s time.” 

I think fiction shows you the character’s situation, showing all the factors shaping their actions and choices, and that helps [you] empathize. 

I'm also interested in learning about the themes of racism and the immigrant experience. What kind of role do they play in your novel?

Growing up in Ohio, where the novel is set, I encountered some of the usual comments about my skin or the food I ate. But I don't think I fully realized until much later how deeply I felt like an outsider in fundamental ways. Small things, like my parents not knowing how to swim or ski, because who does that in India?

Over time, though, I came to understand that everyone feels like an outsider in some way. In my book, there’s a character, Jim, who sees arranged marriage as "un-American" and uses that idea for political purposes. That reflects something I feel strongly about: the worst experiences of racism often come when it's exploited by politicians.

There's a human element where people are naturally surprised by different customs or outsiders. That's unavoidable; it is part of human nature. But when differences are preyed upon for political gain, it crosses a line. 

This interview has been edited and condensed. Tehsin Pala is the associate editor of Central Desi.

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