# Is "An American Childhood" by Annie Dillard a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of An American Childhood by Annie Dillard (Harper & Row, 1987) is identified by: The trade first edition is identified by 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page, with the printed price present on the dust jacket front flap. The US Harper & Row 1987 trade first edition; verify the stated 'FIRST EDITION' and the priced jacket.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harper & Row, 1987
- The trade first edition is identified by 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page, with the printed price present on the dust jacket front flap
- Dillard's memoir of her Pittsburgh childhood
- A separate signed limited edition of 250 numbered copies also exists
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Annie Dillard |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1987 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harper & Row, 1987 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Harper & Row, 1987. The trade first edition is identified by 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page, with the printed price present on the dust jacket front flap. Dillard's memoir of her Pittsburgh childhood. A separate signed limited edition of 250 numbered copies also exists.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harper & Row 1987 trade first edition; verify the stated 'FIRST EDITION' and the priced jacket. A signed limited issue of 250 copies was also produced.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies typically omit the 'FIRST EDITION' statement, are unpriced on the jacket, and may bear a blind stamp on the rear board; the stated first plus the priced jacket marks the trade first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *An American Childhood* by Annie Dillard a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/an-american-childhood
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.