# Is "Georgia Boy" by Erskine Caldwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Georgia Boy by Erskine Caldwell (Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1943) is identified by: First printing of the linked-story novel, an octavo of [8], 239 pages with 'first edition' stated on the copyright page. US first edition, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1943.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing of the linked-story novel, an octavo of [8], 239 pages with 'first edition' stated on the copyright page
- Bound in orange cloth with the spine lettered in silver
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the publisher's printed price on the front flap; the presence of that printed price, rather than any specific amount, is the point to confirm
- Publisher imprint reads Duell, Sloan and Pearce
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Erskine Caldwell |
| Publisher | Duell, Sloan and Pearce |
| Year | 1943 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing of the linked-story novel, an octavo of [8], 239 pages with 'first edition' stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing of the linked-story novel, an octavo of [8], 239 pages with 'first edition' stated on the copyright page. Bound in orange cloth with the spine lettered in silver. The first-issue dust jacket carries the publisher's printed price on the front flap; the presence of that printed price, rather than any specific amount, is the point to confirm.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1943.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings and reprints exist; the copy with 'first edition' stated on the copyright page in orange cloth is the priority issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Georgia Boy* by Erskine Caldwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/georgia-boy
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.