# Is "A Thousand Acres" by Jane Smiley a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley (Alfred A. Knopf, 1991) is identified by: Knopf first prints 'First Edition' on the copyright page (no number line, as was Knopf practice in this period). The US Knopf 1991 hardcover is the true first; the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page is the operative point.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Knopf first prints 'First Edition' on the copyright page (no number line, as was Knopf practice in this period)
- Navy cloth quarter-binding over beige boards, gilt spine titling, deckled fore-edge, in the first-issue dust jacket carrying the printed flap price
- Won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jane Smiley |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Knopf first prints 'First Edition' on the copyright page (no number line, as was Knopf practice in this period) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Knopf first prints 'First Edition' on the copyright page (no number line, as was Knopf practice in this period). Navy cloth quarter-binding over beige boards, gilt spine titling, deckled fore-edge, in the first-issue dust jacket carrying the printed flap price. Won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1992.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf 1991 hardcover is the true first; the stated 'First Edition' on the copyright page is the operative point.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the 'First Edition' statement, are typically smaller and of cheaper construction, often carry a blind-stamp on the rear board, and have an unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *A Thousand Acres* by Jane Smiley a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/a-thousand-acres
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.