# Is "A Ring of Endless Light" by Madeleine L'Engle a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Ring of Endless Light by Madeleine L'Engle (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1980) is identified by: US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition. US FSG first edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition
- First printing carries the FSG first-printing designation on the copyright page (first-edition statement and number line reading down to 1)
- Fourth Austin Family book; a 1981 Newbery Honor
- First-issue jacket is unclipped and carries the original price; dust-jacket art by Fred Marcellino
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Madeleine L'Engle |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition. First printing carries the FSG first-printing designation on the copyright page (first-edition statement and number line reading down to 1). Fourth Austin Family book; a 1981 Newbery Honor. First-issue jacket is unclipped and carries the original price; dust-jacket art by Fred Marcellino.

## Is this the true first?
US FSG first edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later book-club printings are typically smaller and lighter, lack the number line to 1, and their jackets omit the original trade price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Ring of Endless Light* by Madeleine L'Engle a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-ring-of-endless-light
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.