“Where are we tomorrow?” — the debut novel by local author Tavi Taylor Black, has won the 2022 Nancy Pearl Award for literary fiction. The coveted prize is awarded by the Pacific Northwest Writers Association.

It’s only the latest honor for the 2021 novel — it has also been a finalist in numerous other contests, including the American Fiction Awards, the National Indie Excellence Awards, the Big Book Award, and the Next Generation Indie Book Awards.

The book tells the story of Alex Evans, a touring electrician who discovers through an accidental pregnancy and subsequent miscarriage that she does, indeed, want a family.

After Alex is implicated in an accident involving the pop star she works for, she and three other women from the tour rent a home together, where they help one another look back on past decisions and toward difficult decisions that lay ahead.

Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Norah Jones called the novel “…a riveting read and beautiful depiction of the ups and downs on the road of life.”

While Black has lived on Vashon for more than 20 years, she previously spent around 20 years touring with rock bands in various capacities, including working as a head electrician and production assistant.

Black toured with several different artists, including Phish, Norah Jones, Shaolin Monks and Joni Mitchell.

“Originally, I didn’t really want to write a book set backstage,” said Black, in an interview with The Beachcomber in 2021. “I was so sick of working and living on the road. But once I had some distance from touring, the concept of setting a story in the fast-paced, testosterone-laden atmosphere became more attractive. And what would happen if you plunked a woman who is contemplating the completely feminine act of gestation into that world?”

Black’s next novel, a historical fiction piece set in 1913 on an estate in Bar Harbor, Maine, will be published in 2023.

She also co-hosts a podcast, “The Personal Element,” exploring personal essays by authors. The latest episode of the podcast, at personalelementpodcast.com, explores the work of island author Alice Bloch.

“Where Are We Tomorrow?” can be purchased at major booksellers, as well as local booksellers in Vashon and Seattle.

For additional information about Black’s work, visit her website at taviblack.com.