The points of issue
'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a number line ending in 1, under the Pantheon imprint. Issued in quarter green cloth over tan boards with gilt spine lettering. Dust jacket carries the printed price on the flap.
Is this the true first?
The US Pantheon 1991 edition is the true first; Williams's memoir set against the rising Great Salt Lake. Identify the first printing by the stated 'First Edition' with the number line ending in 1 and the priced first-issue jacket.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Distinguished from later printings and the subsequent Vintage paperback by the stated 'First Edition' with the number line ending in 1 and the priced hardcover jacket.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a number line ending in 1, under the Pantheon imprint. Issued in quarter green cloth over tan boards with gilt spine lettering. Dust jacket carries the printed price on the flap.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Pantheon 1991 edition is the true first; Williams's memoir set against the rising Great Salt Lake. Identify the first printing by the stated 'First Edition' with the number line ending in 1 and the priced first-issue jacket.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Distinguished from later printings and the subsequent Vintage paperback by the stated 'First Edition' with the number line ending in 1 and the priced hardcover jacket.
I have a first edition of Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.