# Is "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer (Milkweed Editions, 2013) is identified by: First printing identified by 'First Edition' with a complete number line on the copyright page, descending to 1. US Milkweed Editions (Minneapolis) is the true first, 2013.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing identified by 'First Edition' with a complete number line on the copyright page, descending to 1
- Issued in hardcover with dust jacket and as a trade paperback; the first hardcover printing was small
- First-state copies retain the original jacket without later printing dates added
- Publisher imprint reads Milkweed Editions
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Robin Wall Kimmerer |
| Publisher | Milkweed Editions |
| Year | 2013 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing identified by 'First Edition' with a complete number line on the copyright page, descending to 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing identified by 'First Edition' with a complete number line on the copyright page, descending to 1. Issued in hardcover with dust jacket and as a trade paperback; the first hardcover printing was small. First-state copies retain the original jacket without later printing dates added.

## Is this the true first?
US Milkweed Editions (Minneapolis) is the true first, 2013.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Many later printings exist; only the genuine first printing carries the full number line down to 1. The first hardcover run was modest (reportedly around 8,000 copies), so early hardcovers are scarce.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Braiding Sweetgrass* by Robin Wall Kimmerer a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/braiding-sweetgrass
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.