# Is "Paco's Story" by Larry Heinemann a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Paco's Story by Larry Heinemann (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1986) is identified by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1986. The US Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover of 1986 is the true first; it won the 1987 National Book Award for Fiction, taking the award over Toni Morrison's Beloved.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1986
- The copyright page states the first edition and carries the FSG number line of the period with 1 as the lowest number
- Octavo, bound in quarter black cloth over orange paper boards with gilt lettering on the spine; the text runs pages 3 to 209 after twelve preliminary pages
- First-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap (the printed price should be present); the author's second novel
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Larry Heinemann |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1986 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Farrar, Straus and Giroux, New York, 1986. The copyright page states the first edition and carries the FSG number line of the period with 1 as the lowest number. Octavo, bound in quarter black cloth over orange paper boards with gilt lettering on the spine; the text runs pages 3 to 209 after twelve preliminary pages. First-issue dust jacket priced on the front flap (the printed price should be present); the author's second novel.

## Is this the true first?
The US Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover of 1986 is the true first; it won the 1987 National Book Award for Fiction, taking the award over Toni Morrison's Beloved.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are smaller, blind-stamped on the rear board, and carry an unpriced jacket sometimes marked Book Club Edition; the true first is identified by the FSG statement of first edition together with the number line reading down to 1 and the priced flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Paco's Story* by Larry Heinemann a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/pacos-story
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.