# Is "Snow Falling on Cedars" by David Guterson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson (Harcourt Brace, 1994) is identified by: Copyright page reads 'First Edition' followed by the letter line A B C D E. The US Harcourt Brace hardcover of 1994 is the true first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page reads 'First Edition' followed by the letter line A B C D E. The decisive textual point: the first printing misspells the protagonist's surname as 'Miyomoto' throughout the text and on the jacket, corrected to 'Miyamoto' in later printings
- Gray paper over boards quarter-bound in white cloth with silver spine lettering; first-issue jacket carries the printed price and makes no award mention
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | David Guterson |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace |
| Year | 1994 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page reads 'First Edition' followed by the letter line A B C D E. The decisive textual point: the first printing misspells the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Copyright page reads 'First Edition' followed by the letter line A B C D E. The decisive textual point: the first printing misspells the protagonist's surname as 'Miyomoto' throughout the text and on the jacket, corrected to 'Miyamoto' in later printings. Gray paper over boards quarter-bound in white cloth with silver spine lettering; first-issue jacket carries the printed price and makes no award mention.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harcourt Brace hardcover of 1994 is the true first edition. It won the 1995 PEN/Faulkner Award. Later printings add awards to the jacket and correct the Miyamoto spelling.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition lacks the 'First Edition' line and letter string, is smaller, blind-stamped on the rear board, with an unpriced jacket marked Book Club Edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Snow Falling on Cedars* by David Guterson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/snow-falling-on-cedars
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.