# Is "Many Waters" by Madeleine L'Engle a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1986) is identified by: US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition. US FSG first edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition
- First printing shows the FSG first-edition statement with a number line reading down to 1 on the copyright page
- Fourth Time Quintet book, in lavender boards
- First-issue jacket is unclipped with the original price
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Madeleine L'Engle |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition. First printing shows the FSG first-edition statement with a number line reading down to 1 on the copyright page. Fourth Time Quintet book, in lavender boards. First-issue jacket is unclipped with the original price.

## Is this the true first?
US FSG first edition is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later book-club printings lack the number line to 1 and their jackets omit the original trade price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Many Waters* by Madeleine L'Engle a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/many-waters
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.