# Is "Housekeeping" by Marilynne Robinson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1980) is identified by: First printing carries no statement of a later printing on the copyright page (FSG's convention of indicating only reprints) with the number line intact. The US FSG printing is the true first; the UK Faber edition (1981) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing carries no statement of a later printing on the copyright page (FSG's convention of indicating only reprints) with the number line intact
- Bound in quarter blue cloth over lighter-blue paper boards with gilt spine titling
- A notable variant exists: trial dust jackets on which the author and title lettering on the front panel and spine appear in deep orange rather than the issued blue-black
- Robinson's debut novel
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Marilynne Robinson |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing carries no statement of a later printing on the copyright page (FSG's convention of indicating only reprints) with the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing carries no statement of a later printing on the copyright page (FSG's convention of indicating only reprints) with the number line intact. Bound in quarter blue cloth over lighter-blue paper boards with gilt spine titling. A notable variant exists: trial dust jackets on which the author and title lettering on the front panel and spine appear in deep orange rather than the issued blue-black. Robinson's debut novel.

## Is this the true first?
The US FSG printing is the true first; the UK Faber edition (1981) follows. The orange-lettered trial jacket precedes the issued blue-black jacket and is the priority collecting state.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book-club edition; later printings state the printing on the copyright page. Be cautious of later FSG reprints and of later reissue jackets paired with a first-printing text.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Housekeeping* by Marilynne Robinson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/housekeeping
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.