# Is "A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812" by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812 by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich (Alfred A. Knopf, 1990) is identified by: Cloth-backed boards; 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Borzoi colophon. Alfred A.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Cloth-backed boards; 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Borzoi colophon
- The dust jacket is priced
- Distinguish from book-club issues, which are unpriced and lack the stated first-edition line
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Laurel Thatcher Ulrich |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Cloth-backed boards; 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Borzoi colophon |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Cloth-backed boards; 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page with the Borzoi colophon. The dust jacket is priced. Distinguish from book-club issues, which are unpriced and lack the stated first-edition line.

## Is this the true first?
Alfred A. Knopf (New York), a Borzoi book, issued the true first in 1990. Won the Pulitzer Prize for History and the Bancroft Prize in 1991.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Knopf trade first carries 'First Edition' with the Borzoi device; book-club copies differ.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Midwife's Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard, Based on Her Diary, 1785-1812* by Laurel Thatcher Ulrich a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-midwifes-tale-the-life-of-martha-ballard-based-on-her-diar
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.