# Is "Breath, Eyes, Memory" by Edwidge Danticat a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat (Soho Press, 1994) is identified by: Danticat's debut novel. US Soho Press 1994 hardcover is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Soho Press, New York, 1994
- The true first is the hardcover with the full number line (including '1') on the copyright page and the original unclipped dust jacket
- As a verified point, the first-state jacket carries no Oprah's Book Club promotional material (the title was selected in 1998, prompting later printings)
- Publisher imprint reads Soho Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Edwidge Danticat |
| Publisher | Soho Press |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Soho Press, New York, 1994 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Danticat's debut novel. Soho Press, New York, 1994. The true first is the hardcover with the full number line (including '1') on the copyright page and the original unclipped dust jacket. As a verified point, the first-state jacket carries no Oprah's Book Club promotional material (the title was selected in 1998, prompting later printings).

## Is this the true first?
US Soho Press 1994 hardcover is the true first. The hardcover is the collectible first; later printings followed the Oprah selection.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and reprints show an Oprah's Book Club logo on the jacket and lack the full number line ending in 1; advance reading copies exist and are not the published first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Breath, Eyes, Memory* by Edwidge Danticat a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/breath-eyes-memory
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.