# Is "Love Medicine" by Louise Erdrich a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich (Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1984) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First Edition' with a full number line to 1; black cloth spine over blue boards with gilt spine lettering; dust jacket designed by Honi Werner with the printed price intact. The 1984 Holt, Rinehart and Winston first is the true first; the 1993 'new and expanded edition' (HarperCollins) is a 'first thus,' not the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First Edition' with a full number line to 1; black cloth spine over blue boards with gilt spine lettering; dust jacket designed by Honi Werner with the printed price intact
- Erdrich's debut novel in its original 1984 text, before the expanded 1993 edition
- Publisher imprint reads Holt, Rinehart and Winston
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Louise Erdrich |
| Publisher | Holt, Rinehart and Winston |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First Edition' with a full number line to 1; black cloth spine over blue boards with gilt spine lettering; dust… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Edition' with a full number line to 1; black cloth spine over blue boards with gilt spine lettering; dust jacket designed by Honi Werner with the printed price intact. Erdrich's debut novel in its original 1984 text, before the expanded 1993 edition.

## Is this the true first?
The 1984 Holt, Rinehart and Winston first is the true first; the 1993 'new and expanded edition' (HarperCollins) is a 'first thus,' not the true first. The US edition precedes the UK.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club trap; the key pitfall is confusing the 1993 expanded edition with the 1984 first — confirm the Holt, Rinehart and Winston imprint and the 1984 date with a number line to 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Love Medicine* by Louise Erdrich a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/love-medicine
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.