Former White House Press Secretary Dana Perino will discuss her debut novel “Purple State” at The Westport Library on Tuesday, 23 June 2026, in a conversation with Westporter Danielle Dobin. The event will include book availability for purchase and signing, an
At 07:00 PM on Tue, 23 Jun 2026, The Westport Library will open its doors for a night that mixes polished political experience with a very different kind of campaign trail.
Dana Perino, the former White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush. will sit down with Westporter Danielle Dobin to discuss Perino’s debut novel. “Purple State.” The book centers on Dorothy “Dot” Clark. a 25-year-old New York City PR professional who feels stuck until a chance to work on a high-stakes political campaign in Cedar Falls. Wisconsin. pulls her into a swing district in a pivotal state.
The pitch of “Purple State” isn’t just politics—it’s what happens to a person when the stakes are high and the town is tight-knit. Dot trades the chaos of New York for small-town life shaped by cozy cafes, family farms, and a welcoming community. She brings her instincts from her PR career into the pressure cooker of small-town politics as she helps flip Wisconsin blue. And then, just when the campaign rhythm starts to feel familiar, her personal life changes course. Dot finds herself drawn to Danny Dawson. a truck-driving. hockey-loving local who is nothing like the men she’s known in New York. Their growing connection forces Dot to wrestle with a question she didn’t expect to face: whether love can bridge political divides.
Perino is not stepping into this conversation as a newcomer. She is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of “And the Good News Is…”. “Let Me Tell You About Jasper”. “Everything Will Be Okay”. and “I Wish Someone Had Told Me.” She’s also a Fox News anchor. co-host of “The Five. ” and co-anchor of “America’s Newsroom. ” where she serves as one of the channel’s key election analysts. She hosts her own podcast. “Perino on Politics.” And before all of that. she was the first Republican woman to serve as White House Press Secretary for President George W. Bush.
Dobin will moderate the discussion. Her path and Perino’s have a history that began on Capitol Hill. In 1995. Danielle Dobin and Dana Perino were strangers who became roommates in a group house directly across the street from the Library of Congress. living with two young women working for members of Congress from opposite political parties. They bonded over their shared love of reading and. as they’ve stayed connected for thirty years. have continued to share book recommendations.
Dobin’s professional life has run alongside her community work. She has enjoyed a multi-decade career as a real estate investor and entrepreneur. earning a JD. a Master’s in Real Estate Finance. and a BA in Political Communication. In Westport. she serves as Chair of Westport’s Board of Finance. previously chaired the Planning and Zoning Commission. and has been involved with Staples High School boards as well as leading ArtSmart for the PTA Council. She is an active member of Westport’s DTC and has volunteered as a team leader for the DNC Voter Protection efforts in Pennsylvania and Georgia. Dobin lives near the beach with her husband Chris, their two teenage sons, and their beloved dog.
“Purple State” is designed to be more than a campaign story. It blends high-stakes politics with humor, heart, and an unexpected love story set in a swing-state town. The novel frames Dot’s journey as a story of love. friendship. and finding common ground in politics. relationships. and life—built around taking leaps of faith and discovering where you truly belong.
Fans of Perino’s nonfiction books—“And the Good News Is…” and “Everything Will Be Okay”—will also be looking for the practical insight woven throughout the new novel. as the story leans on the same idea Perino has long urged readers toward: stepping outside comfort zones can lead to unexpected. life-changing rewards.
The event is supported by The Westport Library. Attendees can purchase and get books signed at the event itself. The library’s phone number is (203) 291-4800 and the email listed is jkeller@westportlibrary.org.
Dana Perino Purple State Westport Library Danielle Dobin White House Press Secretary Cedar Falls Wisconsin swing district Wisconsin blue book signing Perino on Politics
Purple State sounds like a real state they just made up lol.
So is this like a political campaign event or just a book thing? Dana Perino always seems kinda polished, but love and politics together feels like a setup. I don’t get why Wisconsin keeps getting mentioned unless she’s trying to sell that swing-state vibe.
Wait her novel is “Purple State” but the article says swing district in Cedar Falls, Wisconsin… Cedar Falls is like Iowa though, right? Unless they changed it for the story. Either way, the whole “flip Wisconsin blue” part sounds super intense for a romance, like she’s gonna turn a love interest into a voter turnout plan.
Dana Perino wades into love AND politics… that’s basically Fox News fanfic but with book signings. I’m not hating, I just feel like they’re gonna oversell the whole “small town cozy cafes” angle like it’s not still divisive as hell. Also Westport Library opening doors at 7:00 PM? sounds like half the crowd just wants to be seen there and get the autograph more than actually read the book.