# Is "Mama Day" by Gloria Naylor a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Mama Day by Gloria Naylor (Ticknor & Fields, 1988) is identified by: Ticknor & Fields, New York, 1988. US Ticknor & Fields 1988 is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Ticknor & Fields, New York, 1988
- First-edition copies have blue paper-covered boards with a brown cloth spine, copper spine lettering, and illustrated endpapers
- The first printing is identified by the printing statement on the copyright page with no later-printing indication; a true first carries the original unclipped dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Ticknor & Fields
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gloria Naylor |
| Publisher | Ticknor & Fields |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Ticknor & Fields, New York, 1988 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Ticknor & Fields, New York, 1988. First-edition copies have blue paper-covered boards with a brown cloth spine, copper spine lettering, and illustrated endpapers. The first printing is identified by the printing statement on the copyright page with no later-printing indication; a true first carries the original unclipped dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Ticknor & Fields 1988 is the true first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A licensed book-club edition is a separate printing without the publisher's printing statement, often blind-stamped on the rear board, with no price on the jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Mama Day* by Gloria Naylor a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/mama-day
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.