# Is "Fair and Tender Ladies" by Lee Smith a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1988) is identified by: First printing carries a complete number line including the digit 1 on the copyright page, with no later-printing statement. US Putnam edition is the true first; the UK Macmillan edition followed in 1989.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries a complete number line including the digit 1 on the copyright page, with no later-printing statement
- Blue cloth boards in a pictorial dust jacket with the price on the front flap
- First printing is noted as elusive
- Publisher imprint reads G. P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lee Smith |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries a complete number line including the digit 1 on the copyright page, with no later-printing statement |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing carries a complete number line including the digit 1 on the copyright page, with no later-printing statement. Blue cloth boards in a pictorial dust jacket with the price on the front flap. First printing is noted as elusive.

## Is this the true first?
US Putnam edition is the true first; the UK Macmillan edition followed in 1989.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the number line and the flap price and may carry a rear-board blind stamp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Fair and Tender Ladies* by Lee Smith a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/fair-and-tender-ladies
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.