# Is "Love Life: Stories" by Bobbie Ann Mason a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Love Life: Stories by Bobbie Ann Mason (Harper & Row, 1989) is identified by: First printing identified by the Harper & Row copyright-page convention: the words "First Edition" printed above (or alongside) the descending number line, with the line running down to 1. US first edition, Harper & Row, New York, 1989 (ISBN 0-06-016042-X); the UK Chatto & Windus edition follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing identified by the Harper & Row copyright-page convention: the words "First Edition" printed above (or alongside) the descending number line, with the line running down to 1
- A collection of sixteen stories of small-town life; the first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap, and the price should be present on an unclipped example
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Bobbie Ann Mason |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing identified by the Harper & Row copyright-page convention: the words "First Edition" printed above (or alongside) the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First printing identified by the Harper & Row copyright-page convention: the words "First Edition" printed above (or alongside) the descending number line, with the line running down to 1. A collection of sixteen stories of small-town life; the first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap, and the price should be present on an unclipped example.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition, Harper & Row, New York, 1989 (ISBN 0-06-016042-X); the UK Chatto & Windus edition follows.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The "First Edition" statement is removed and the number line advances (dropping the 1) on later Harper printings.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Love Life: Stories* by Bobbie Ann Mason a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/love-life-stories
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.