# Is "Flags on the Bayou" by James Lee Burke a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Flags on the Bayou by James Lee Burke (Atlantic Monthly Press, 2023) is identified by: First edition stated on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1. The US Atlantic Monthly Press (Grove Atlantic) hardcover is the true first, ISBN 9780802161697.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition stated on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1
- Published 2023
- The first-printing hardcover is bound in red boards with bright gilt lettering to the spine and dark endpapers; the first-state glossy pictorial dust jacket shows a woman in a canoe on the front, with review praise (Washington Post, Irish Times, Globe & Mail, New Orleans Times-Picayune) on the yellow rear panel and the printed cover price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Atlantic Monthly Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Lee Burke |
| Publisher | Atlantic Monthly Press |
| Year | 2023 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition stated on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition stated on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1. Published 2023. The first-printing hardcover is bound in red boards with bright gilt lettering to the spine and dark endpapers; the first-state glossy pictorial dust jacket shows a woman in a canoe on the front, with review praise (Washington Post, Irish Times, Globe & Mail, New Orleans Times-Picayune) on the yellow rear panel and the printed cover price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Atlantic Monthly Press (Grove Atlantic) hardcover is the true first, ISBN 9780802161697. A Civil War-era standalone.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None significant for the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Flags on the Bayou* by James Lee Burke a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/flags-on-the-bayou
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.