# Is "The Buddha in the Attic" by Julie Otsuka a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Buddha in the Attic by Julie Otsuka (Alfred A. Knopf, 2011) is identified by: Knopf first edition, 2011 (ISBN 978-0-307-70000-1), stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1, under the Knopf borzoi colophon. The US Knopf hardcover of 2011 is the true first edition; the novel went on to win the 2012 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf first edition, 2011 (ISBN 978-0-307-70000-1), stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1, under the Knopf borzoi colophon
- A slim hardcover of roughly 144 pages; the first-issue dust jacket should retain the publisher's printed price
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Julie Otsuka |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2011 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf first edition, 2011 (ISBN 978-0-307-70000-1), stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf first edition, 2011 (ISBN 978-0-307-70000-1), stating 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1, under the Knopf borzoi colophon. A slim hardcover of roughly 144 pages; the first-issue dust jacket should retain the publisher's printed price.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf hardcover of 2011 is the true first edition; the novel went on to win the 2012 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition is recorded; confirm the 'First Edition' statement and the number line ending in 1 on the copyright page, and that the jacket carries its printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Buddha in the Attic* by Julie Otsuka a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-buddha-in-the-attic
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.