# Is "A Lesson Before Dying" by Ernest J. Gaines a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines (Alfred A. Knopf, 1993) is identified by: The true first is Alfred A. US Knopf 1993 is the true first (NBCC Award winner); the UK Serpent's Tail edition follows (c.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first is Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi), New York, 1993, bound in white quarter-cloth over black boards with the title blind-stamped on the front board
- The first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page (Knopf's convention: the statement is removed on later printings); the priced dust jacket carries a "4/93" date code on the lower rear flap
- The exact terminal digit of the number line could not be confirmed from the sources consulted, so identification here rests on the "First Edition" statement plus the jacket points rather than a quoted number line
- Beware Knopf's "printing before publication" wording seen on some copies — a true first should carry the "First Edition" statement and the priced first-issue jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Ernest J. Gaines |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1993 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first is Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi), New York, 1993, bound in white quarter-cloth over black boards with the title blind-stamped on… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first is Alfred A. Knopf (Borzoi), New York, 1993, bound in white quarter-cloth over black boards with the title blind-stamped on the front board. The first printing states "First Edition" on the copyright page (Knopf's convention: the statement is removed on later printings); the priced dust jacket carries a "4/93" date code on the lower rear flap. The exact terminal digit of the number line could not be confirmed from the sources consulted, so identification here rests on the "First Edition" statement plus the jacket points rather than a quoted number line. Beware Knopf's "printing before publication" wording seen on some copies — a true first should carry the "First Edition" statement and the priced first-issue jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf 1993 is the true first (NBCC Award winner); the UK Serpent's Tail edition follows (c. 1994) and is not the first. US precedes.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions (e.g., Book-of-the-Month/QPB) and later Oprah's Book Club / Vintage paperback printings (1997+) are not the first: club copies typically show a blind-stamp to the rear board, thinner boards, and an unpriced jacket. A price-clipped jacket also disqualifies the first-issue price/date point.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Lesson Before Dying* by Ernest J. Gaines a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-lesson-before-dying
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.