# Is "Breathing Lessons" by Anne Tyler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler (Alfred A. Knopf, 1988) is identified by: Knopf first printing: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page with the Borzoi/Knopf device; issued in cloth-and-boards binding with the dust jacket carrying the printed retail price on the front flap. The US Knopf 1988 edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Knopf first printing: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page with the Borzoi/Knopf device; issued in cloth-and-boards binding with the dust jacket carrying the printed retail price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Tyler |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Knopf first printing: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page with the Borzoi/Knopf device; issued in cloth-and-boards binding with… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Knopf first printing: 'FIRST EDITION' stated on the copyright page with the Borzoi/Knopf device; issued in cloth-and-boards binding with the dust jacket carrying the printed retail price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf 1988 edition is the true first. The 'FIRST EDITION' statement on the copyright page is the defining point of first printing. Winner of the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issues lack the 'FIRST EDITION' statement and are typically smaller, printed on thinner stock; many are the Quality Paperback Book Club or other club printings rather than the Knopf trade binding.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Breathing Lessons* by Anne Tyler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/breathing-lessons
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.