# Is "House Made of Dawn" by N. Scott Momaday a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of House Made of Dawn by N. Scott Momaday (Harper & Row, 1968) is identified by: Harper & Row, New York, 1968; the author's first book and winner of the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. The true first edition is the Harper & Row 1968 hardcover, first printing, with "FIRST EDITION" stated and the D-S (April 1968) code on the copyright page; there is no earlier US or UK printing.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harper & Row, New York, 1968; the author's first book and winner of the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
- A true first edition, first printing is stated "FIRST EDITION" on the copyright page and carries Harper's date code (the D-S code, indicating an April 1968 printing)
- Bound in red cloth and paper-covered boards, 212 pages
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price and the 0668 code on the front flap (present and unclipped on a true first-state trade jacket), with an author photograph on the rear panel; later states and reprints lack these points
- Always cross-check the "FIRST EDITION" statement together with the code letters, since a stated first alone is not sufficient
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | N. Scott Momaday |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1968 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harper & Row, New York, 1968; the author's first book and winner of the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Harper & Row, New York, 1968; the author's first book and winner of the 1969 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. A true first edition, first printing is stated "FIRST EDITION" on the copyright page and carries Harper's date code (the D-S code, indicating an April 1968 printing). Bound in red cloth and paper-covered boards, 212 pages. The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price and the 0668 code on the front flap (present and unclipped on a true first-state trade jacket), with an author photograph on the rear panel; later states and reprints lack these points. Always cross-check the "FIRST EDITION" statement together with the code letters, since a stated first alone is not sufficient.

## Is this the true first?
The true first edition is the Harper & Row 1968 hardcover, first printing, with "FIRST EDITION" stated and the D-S (April 1968) code on the copyright page; there is no earlier US or UK printing.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions and later printings reprint the text but are not the first edition and are far less collectible. Confirm the D-S code and the priced 0668 first-issue jacket rather than relying on the "FIRST EDITION" line alone. Use the points above to be certain — see book-club edition vs. first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *House Made of Dawn* by N. Scott Momaday a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/house-made-of-dawn
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.