The points of issue
First English edition, translated by Margaret Sayers Peden: Farrar, Straus & Giroux cloth in dust jacket, New York, 1976 (778 pages). Translation of 'Terra Nostra' (1975).
Is this the true first?
The true first edition is the Spanish 'Terra Nostra' (Editorial Joaquín Mortiz, Mexico, 1975; also Seix Barral, Spain, 1975). The 1976 Farrar, Straus & Giroux is the first English-language edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later paperbacks (FSG, Penguin, Dalkey Archive) are reprints, not the 1976 cloth first.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Terra Nostra a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First English edition, translated by Margaret Sayers Peden: Farrar, Straus & Giroux cloth in dust jacket, New York, 1976 (778 pages). Translation of 'Terra Nostra' (1975).
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The true first edition is the Spanish 'Terra Nostra' (Editorial Joaquín Mortiz, Mexico, 1975; also Seix Barral, Spain, 1975). The 1976 Farrar, Straus & Giroux is the first English-language edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later paperbacks (FSG, Penguin, Dalkey Archive) are reprints, not the 1976 cloth first.
I have a first edition of Terra Nostra — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.