# Is "A Match to the Heart: One Woman's Story of Being Struck by Lightning" by Gretel Ehrlich a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Match to the Heart: One Woman's Story of Being Struck by Lightning by Gretel Ehrlich (Pantheon, 1994) is identified by: Pantheon (New York) hardcover first edition, 1994, with 'First Edition' stated and the number line ending in 1; issued in dust jacket (ISBN 0-679-42550-0). True first US edition of this memoir.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Pantheon (New York) hardcover first edition, 1994, with 'First Edition' stated and the number line ending in 1; issued in dust jacket (ISBN 0-679-42550-0)
- Memoir of her recovery after being struck by lightning
- Publisher imprint reads Pantheon
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gretel Ehrlich |
| Publisher | Pantheon |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Pantheon (New York) hardcover first edition, 1994, with 'First Edition' stated and the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
Pantheon (New York) hardcover first edition, 1994, with 'First Edition' stated and the number line ending in 1; issued in dust jacket (ISBN 0-679-42550-0). Memoir of her recovery after being struck by lightning.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition of this memoir.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguish from the later Penguin paperback (ISBN 0140179372).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Match to the Heart: One Woman's Story of Being Struck by Lightning* by Gretel Ehrlich a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-match-to-the-heart-one-womans-story-of-being-struck-by-lig
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.