# Is "Place Called Estherville" by Erskine Caldwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Place Called Estherville by Erskine Caldwell (Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1949) is identified by: First edition, first printing, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1949. US edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, first printing, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1949
- Copyright page carries the First Edition statement
- Octavo in light blue cloth, titles stamped in red on spine and front cover, red top stain, in dust jacket; collation runs to 244 pp
- Publisher imprint reads Duell, Sloan and Pearce
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Erskine Caldwell |
| Publisher | Duell, Sloan and Pearce |
| Year | 1949 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, first printing, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1949 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, first printing, Duell, Sloan and Pearce, New York, 1949. Copyright page carries the First Edition statement. Octavo in light blue cloth, titles stamped in red on spine and front cover, red top stain, in dust jacket; collation runs to 244 pp.

## Is this the true first?
US edition is the true first. A UK edition followed in 1950.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings lack the First Edition statement. The title appears on the title page as Place Called Estherville, though it is frequently catalogued as A Place Called Estherville.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Place Called Estherville* by Erskine Caldwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/place-called-estherville
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.