# Is "A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain" by Robert Olen Butler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain by Robert Olen Butler (Henry Holt and Company, 1992) is identified by: Henry Holt first printing: 'First Edition--1992' stated on the copyright page together with the full number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' (the 1 present). The US Henry Holt 1992 edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Henry Holt first printing: 'First Edition--1992' stated on the copyright page together with the full number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' (the 1 present)
- Story collection; first-issue cloth binding with the dust jacket carrying the printed retail price
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Holt and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robert Olen Butler |
| Publisher | Henry Holt and Company |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Henry Holt first printing: 'First Edition--1992' stated on the copyright page together with the full number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2'… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Henry Holt first printing: 'First Edition--1992' stated on the copyright page together with the full number line '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' (the 1 present). Story collection; first-issue cloth binding with the dust jacket carrying the printed retail price.

## Is this the true first?
The US Henry Holt 1992 edition is the true first. Both the stated 'First Edition--1992' line and the full number line beginning with 1 confirm the first printing. Winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issues lack the stated 'First Edition--1992' line and the number line; many carry a blind-stamp on the rear board and an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain* by Robert Olen Butler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-good-scent-from-a-strange-mountain
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-04.