# Is "Spence + Lila" by Bobbie Ann Mason a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Spence + Lila by Bobbie Ann Mason (Harper & Row, 1988) is identified by: First printing identified by the Harper first-printing code line on the copyright page. US first edition (Harper & Row, New York).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing identified by the Harper first-printing code line on the copyright page
- An illustrated short novel (drawings by LaNelle Mason), issued in the Harper Short Novel Series; first-issue jacket priced on the flap
- Publisher imprint reads Harper & Row
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Bobbie Ann Mason |
| Publisher | Harper & Row |
| Year | 1988 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing identified by the Harper first-printing code line on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing identified by the Harper first-printing code line on the copyright page. An illustrated short novel (drawings by LaNelle Mason), issued in the Harper Short Novel Series; first-issue jacket priced on the flap.

## Is this the true first?
US first edition (Harper & Row, New York). The UK edition (Chatto & Windus) follows in 1989.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The copyright code line changes on later printings; no significant book-club issue noted.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Spence + Lila* by Bobbie Ann Mason a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/spence-lila
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.