# Is "Saving Grace" by Lee Smith a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Saving Grace by Lee Smith (G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1995) is identified by: Putnam's Sons hardcover, 1995, is the first edition. The US Putnam edition (1995) is the true first; it precedes the later Ballantine trade paperback.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US G. P. Putnam's Sons hardcover, 1995, is the first edition
- The first printing carries a complete number line ending in the digit 1 on the copyright page, and the dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price
- Issued in publisher's cloth-backed boards with the printed jacket present; the jacket bears the title and author on a designed front panel with the printed price at the top of the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads G. P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Lee Smith |
| Publisher | G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US G. P. Putnam's Sons hardcover, 1995, is the first edition |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
US G. P. Putnam's Sons hardcover, 1995, is the first edition. The first printing carries a complete number line ending in the digit 1 on the copyright page, and the dust jacket should retain its printed front-flap price. Issued in publisher's cloth-backed boards with the printed jacket present; the jacket bears the title and author on a designed front panel with the printed price at the top of the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US Putnam edition (1995) is the true first; it precedes the later Ballantine trade paperback.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the complete number line and the printed flap price, are often issued on lighter boards, and may carry a small blind stamp to the rear board; the priced jacket and the number line ending in 1 together identify the trade first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Saving Grace* by Lee Smith a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/saving-grace
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.