Sameera “Sparrow” Righton busy political blogger, even though she’s imaginary. “A Muslim girl in the White House,” Sparrow is a Republican president’s daughter created by author Mitali Bose Perkins, ’84. Sparrow’s story—adopted as a Pakistani orphan when she was 3, educated in international schools, now 16 and an aspiring journalist—has unfolded in two young-adult novels: First Daughter: Extreme American Makeover and First Daughter: White House Rules (Dutton).
Former poli sci major Perkins covers the ’08 election’s First Kid hopefuls at www.sparrowblog.com. Recent posts charted the increase in campaigning by Chelsea Clinton, ’01, and noted that Caroline Kennedy, “who lost her Dad when she was four days short of six years old, wants six-year-old Sasha’s Dad to be the next President.”
After her first book was written, Perkins realized that John McCain’s youngest child, Bridget, 15, was adopted from Bangladesh. She offered to scrap her storyline and was relieved when the McCain campaign did not object to it.
Sparrowblog aims to be impartial and upbeat, because what Perkins roots for most is America’s system. “I’ve traveled in a lot of places where there is no freedom, no peaceful transfer of power. I cheer for the process.”
