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If you read “Everything Will Be Okay” and feel inspired and reassured, read “Purple State.”
Over the years, I’ve been forced to write my own tutorials because I wanted all my good advice to be in one place. As I began writing my new novel, “Purple State,” I wanted to help my characters — three women: Dot, Mary and Harper — live those lessons in the story. They face and deal with their quarter-life issues in a powerful way that sets them up for career success and personal fulfillment.
In my non-fiction books, I have talked about life and principles that make it easier to make decisions. And now in “Purple State,” I show what it costs to live by those principles – to be tested, and to live with the consequences of your decisions.
I have thus compiled two books.
DANA PERINO: ‘EVERYTHING’S GOING TO BE OK’ — WHAT I WANT TO SHARE WITH WOMEN TODAY
“Everything Will Be Alright” made it clear that life is not easy. It basically said, yes, there is uncertainty in life, and you can manage that by being strong and believing in yourself – sticking to your principles even when the road ahead is unclear. Especially then! It was a guidebook for navigating chaos with grace.
In “Purple State,” the story takes place in one year. Dot, Mary and Harper are each in the quarter-life zone. They are ambitious, but suffer from experience. They try to reconcile what they thought they were going to do at this point in their lives with the lives they actually live. (Harper)
And that’s where I started with “Purple State.” The story takes place in one year. Dot, Mary and Harper are each in the quarter-life zone. They are ambitious, but suffer from experience. They try to reconcile what they thought they were going to do at this point in their lives with the lives they actually live.
When given a chance to shake things up, Dot leaves the certainty of New York for a relationship and a career change she can’t fully control. Mary, focused and rational, must face the limitations of playing it safe. Sharp but lacking in confidence, Harper discovers that independence without vulnerability can be its own form of isolation.
Does that sound like you—or someone you know and love? That’s because I didn’t pull their problems out of thin air. These are the challenges I see young people face all the time. And because I faced them myself. If there’s one thing you learn from both books, it’s that you’re not alone in feeling this way. That you can find a way to navigate the daily back and forth between fear and faith, control and surrender, and ambition and communication.
Another truth of both books is that character is more important than setting. Who are you when no one is watching? “Purple State” takes that idea to the test as three friends figure out how to live a year away from Manhattan while in Wisconsin.
They are immersed in a political campaign, and they all end up testing the limits of what is closed, comfortable and far outside of their plans. Along the way, they learn that love requires risk – just like their jobs. And maybe the safe choice is not the right one.
DANA PERINO’S BOOKS OF THE YEAR YOU MUST READ
The answer comes not in sweeping declarations, but in small, consequential decisions – the kind that shape life more than any one magical moment.
And in the middle of it all is a simple but profound conclusion: love wins – if you let it.
Another truth of both books is that character is more important than setting. Who are you when no one is watching? ‘Purple State’ takes that idea to the test as three friends figure out how to live a year away from Manhattan while in Wisconsin.
“Everything Will Be Alright” teaches the power of staying strong, showing up for your friends and protecting your integrity. Dot, Mary and Harper study the same subjects.
“Everything Will Be Alright: Life Lessons for Young Women (from a Woman Who Was a Young Woman)” was published on March 9, 2021. (Grand Central Publishing)
In a cultural age that often rewards criticism and division, “Purple State” offers something both refreshing and necessary: the idea that we are not as far apart as we think, and that the most important decisions we make are not political, but personal. Who do we trust? Who did we stand for? Who do we choose to love?
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The setting – Wisconsin, the true “purple state” – is as symbolic as it is geographical. It shows the middle ground of feelings and ideas where most people live, even if the loudest voices say otherwise. It is in that space that compromise, understanding and, ultimately, communication become possible.
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For readers who enjoy the hope of “Everything’s Gonna Be All Right,” “Purple State” offers a deep, rich experience. It doesn’t just tell you what’s important – it lets you feel it.
Make good decisions in your life. And then you will see – everything will really be fine.
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