# Is "Bastard Out of Carolina" by Dorothy Allison a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Bastard Out of Carolina by Dorothy Allison (Dutton, 1992) is identified by: First printing is identified by a stated first printing and a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. The US Dutton hardcover is the true first; the British Flamingo edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing is identified by a stated first printing and a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page
- Dutton hardcover with white quarter cloth, silver spine lettering, and pink endpapers; the dust jacket front flap carries the original printed price
- The jacket photograph is by Dorothea Lange (Library of Congress collection)
- ISBN 0-525-93425-1
- Publisher imprint reads Dutton
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Dorothy Allison |
| Publisher | Dutton |
| Year | 1992 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing is identified by a stated first printing and a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing is identified by a stated first printing and a complete number line ending in 1 on the copyright page. Dutton hardcover with white quarter cloth, silver spine lettering, and pink endpapers; the dust jacket front flap carries the original printed price. The jacket photograph is by Dorothea Lange (Library of Congress collection). ISBN 0-525-93425-1.

## Is this the true first?
The US Dutton hardcover is the true first; the British Flamingo edition follows. Allison's debut novel and a National Book Award finalist; the hardcover first precedes the Plume paperback.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club edition issue identified; later reissues are Plume trade paperbacks.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Bastard Out of Carolina* by Dorothy Allison a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/bastard-out-of-carolina
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.