# Is "In Praise of the Stepmother" by Mario Vargas Llosa a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of In Praise of the Stepmother by Mario Vargas Llosa (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1990) is identified by: First US edition, Farrar Straus and Giroux, 1990, stating 'First edition' on the copyright page; translated by Helen R. First edition in English of Elogio de la madrastra (Spanish original 1988).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First US edition, Farrar Straus and Giroux, 1990, stating 'First edition' on the copyright page; translated by Helen R. Lane; illustrated with color plate reproductions of paintings (ISBN 0374175837)
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mario Vargas Llosa |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1990 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First US edition, Farrar Straus and Giroux, 1990, stating 'First edition' on the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First US edition, Farrar Straus and Giroux, 1990, stating 'First edition' on the copyright page; translated by Helen R. Lane; illustrated with color plate reproductions of paintings (ISBN 0374175837).

## Is this the true first?
First edition in English of Elogio de la madrastra (Spanish original 1988). The FSG hardcover is the true first English-language edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book club edition affecting the first-printing identification.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *In Praise of the Stepmother* by Mario Vargas Llosa a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/in-praise-of-the-stepmother
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.