# Is "Searching for Caleb" by Anne Tyler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Searching for Caleb by Anne Tyler (Alfred A. Knopf, 1976) is identified by: Knopf, New York, 1976 (title page dated 1976). US Knopf, dated 1976, is the collected true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Knopf, New York, 1976 (title page dated 1976)
- The true first states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the borzoi colophon; white cloth spine over blue paper-covered boards, lettered in gilt, in the original unclipped dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anne Tyler |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1976 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Knopf, New York, 1976 (title page dated 1976) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Knopf, New York, 1976 (title page dated 1976). The true first states 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with the borzoi colophon; white cloth spine over blue paper-covered boards, lettered in gilt, in the original unclipped dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf, dated 1976, is the collected true first; the UK Chatto & Windus edition followed. Some sources cite a 1975 date, but the Knopf first edition bears a 1976 title-page date.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the stated 'FIRST EDITION'; the jacket usually has no printed price and the boards may show a blind-stamped club dot.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Searching for Caleb* by Anne Tyler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/searching-for-caleb
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.