Purple State

Purple State (2026) is the debut novel by American political commentator and author Dana Perino. Known for her career as a White House Press Secretary and a host on Fox News, Perino transitions from nonfiction to contemporary political fiction with this story. The novel follows three best friends from New York City—Dot, Mary, and Harper—who are each facing personal and professional dissatisfaction. On an impulse, they accept an offer to spend a year working for a Democratic political action committee in a small Wisconsin swing county, hoping the change of scenery will provide a much-needed reset. As they navigate their new lives, their professional and romantic entanglements force them to reconsider their ambitions, political identities, and definitions of home. The story explores themes of Finding Authentic Identity Outside the City, Bridging the Political Divide Through Personal Connection, and The Threat of Corporate Interests to Rural Communities.

This guide is based on the 2026 HarperCollins first edition of the text.

Content Warning: The source material and guide feature depictions of sexual harassment, substance use, sexual content, pregnancy loss, death, and cursing.

Plot Summary

In New York City, three Democratic best friends—public relations manager Dorothy “Dot” Clark, corporate lawyer Mary Russo, and high school teacher Harper Lee Adler—find themselves at a crossroads. Known as “The Crew,” they are each dissatisfied with their lives. Dot is growing bored with her predictable boyfriend, Ryan, and her unfulfilling tech PR job. Mary feels her law career lacks meaning. Harper is still reeling from a disastrous trip to Senegal with a cheating ex-boyfriend, Kai, and eventually quits her teaching job after being sexually harassed by her headmaster. 

During a political conference call hosted by their ambitious college acquaintance Kitty Bell, executive director of the Democratic Super PAC For the Win (FTW), the women learn about an initiative recruiting volunteers to move to politically competitive states and provide on-the-ground intelligence for the upcoming presidential election. After discovering troubling plans at work and realizing that Ryan is preparing to propose despite their incompatible values, Dot ends their relationship. She then convinces her friends to spend the year in Wisconsin, pitching it as a break from their lives and promising to return by the day after the Presidential election the following year.

FTW provides the three women with a house in Cedar Falls, and they quickly immerse themselves in their new environment and the political landscape. Dot begins working closely with Fletcher Abbott, another FTW volunteer from a wealthy tech family, and Rose Perkins, a sharp, 82-year-old veteran of the local Democratic party. She also meets Danny Dawson, a local contractor whose fiancée, Sadie, and their unborn daughter were killed by a drunk driver two years earlier. Meanwhile, Mary’s aggressive New York driving style leads to multiple encounters with Jake Taylor, a handsome local police officer, beginning a relationship of antagonistic flirtation. His twin brother, Tommy Taylor, owns a local hockey-themed bar called the Sin Bin, where Harper finds a quiet corner to work on her novel.

Politically, The Crew becomes more involved in the Democratic primary. Dot organizes a bus trip from Cedar falls to a debate in Madison, where a charismatic Lucy Lopez emerges as a promising candidate. At the same time, The Crew become increasingly connected to Cedar Falls itself. Grace Taylor invites them to a Sunday supper at the Taylor family farm, where Mary discovers that Jake is her son and Harper learns that Tommy is his twin brother. During dinner, Joe reveals that the government is threatening to seize his family’s multi-generational farm through eminent domain to make way for a manufacturing development with suspected foreign backing. Mary begins researching the case, giving her an opportunity to use her legal expertise for a cause she finds personally meaningful.

As the months pass, the women become increasingly embedded in the community and their relationships. Dot and Danny begin spending time together, while Mary and Jake’s antagonistic flirtation develops into a romance. Harper and Tommy also grow closer after he asks her to temporarily care for a stray dog he rescues. Danny organizes a surprise renovation of Reader Falls Bookshop, and The Crew joins Cedar Fall residents in renovating the aging bookstore while its owners, Ted and Jeanie Jankowski, are away.

During the celebration afterward, Mary learns that her grandmother has suffered a suspected stroke. Jake rushes her to the Milwaukee airport, and they share their first kiss before she returns to New York. Her grandmother ultimately recovers from a minor stroke, and Mary returns to Wisconsin, where Jake surprises her with a romantic evening at the Taylor farm. Harper and Tommy similarly move from friendship into romance after a fishing date.

Dot’s personal and professional lives also become increasingly complicated. After briefly considering Fletcher as a romantic possibility, she realizes she is more strongly drawn to Danny. Their relationship becomes serious as Danny opens up about his grief and his fear of rebuilding a life after Sadie’s death. Meanwhile, Lopez becomes the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, and Dot’s campaign responsibilities intensify. Her professional success eventually brings her an offer for a high-level communications position at a Super PAC in Washington, D.C., forcing her to reconsider what she wants after the election.

Surprisingly, The Crew’s growing attachment to Wisconsin makes their approaching departure increasingly difficult. Mary’s parents visit Cedar Falls and meet Jake, but her mother points out the primary problem in their relationship: Mary’s career and family are in New York, while Jake considers Wisconsin his permanent home. Harper, meanwhile, makes substantial progress on the novel she came to Wisconsin hoping to write. She receives positive encouragement from Dot, Mary, and Tommy. Dot likewise struggles with the uncertain future of her relationship with Danny, particularly because neither has seriously discussed what will happen when her year in Wisconsin ends.

As the election approaches, political and personal tensions escalate. The Crew’s presence in the small town draws the ire of Maddy Becker, a childhood friend of Danny’s deceased fiancée, Sadie. Maddy and her friends confront Dot, warning her not to break Danny’s heart by inevitably returning to New York. The confrontation rattles Dot, and her anxiety spikes when she later sees Danny having an intimate dinner with an unknown woman at a wine bar, Cocoa and Cabernet. Believing he is cheating, she cuts off all communication. Meanwhile, the threat to the Taylor farm intensifies, and Mary dedicates her spare time to investigating the deal. With guidance from a partner at her New York firm, she uncovers that the D.C. law firm pushing the land acquisition is secretly representing a Chinese-owned company and has failed to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), a significant legal violation.

On Halloween, with just a week until the election, the romantic conflicts come to a head. Jake and Tommy bring a reluctant Danny to The Crew’s house, determined to clear the air. Danny confronts Dot, explaining that the woman she saw him with was Sadie’s sister; they were having their annual dinner to honor Sadie’s birthday. Devastated by her mistake and Maddy’s manipulation, Dot apologizes, and she and Danny finally confess their love for each other. On Election Night, the presidential race is too close to call, with the outcome hinging on a few swing states, including Wisconsin. As the tense vote count drags on, Danny appears outside the campaign office. Faced with a choice between her political obligations and the man she loves, Dot leaves the room, puts a red line through Election Day on her calendar, and goes home with Danny, choosing their future over the election’s outcome.

On New Year’s Day, The Crew and their boyfriends reunite in Manhattan. Harper announces that she has been accepted into a fully funded creative writing master’s program in Iowa, allowing her to pursue her writing while remaining within driving distance of Cedar Falls and Tommy. Mary, now promoted at her New York law firm, continues her relationship with Jake despite the difference. After successfully meeting her family on Staten Island, Jake notices an NYPD recruiting advertisement at the airport, suggesting that he may be reconsidering his insistence that he could never leave Wisconsin.

After spending time with Danny in New York, Dot accompanies him to the airport and, rather than remaining in Manhattan, chooses to return with him to Cedar Falls. When they arrive, Danny surprises her at Reader Falls Bookshop, which he has purchased and changed into Dot’s Bookshop & Second Cup Café. Ted and Jeanie, the Taylors, and their other Cedar Falls friends gather to welcome her. The new business gives Dot a future rooted in the community she had originally expected to leave after only a year.