# Is "Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place" by Terry Tempest Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place by Terry Tempest Williams (Pantheon Books, 1991) is identified by: 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a number line ending in 1, under the Pantheon imprint. The US Pantheon 1991 edition is the true first; Williams's memoir set against the rising Great Salt Lake.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- '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
- Publisher imprint reads Pantheon Books
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Terry Tempest Williams |
| Publisher | Pantheon Books |
| Year | 1991 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | 'First Edition' stated on the copyright page together with a number line ending in 1, under the Pantheon imprint |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## 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.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and Place* by Terry Tempest Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/refuge-an-unnatural-history-of-family-and-place
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.