# Is "The Country of Marriage" by Wendell Berry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Country of Marriage by Wendell Berry (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1973) is identified by: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich hardcover, 1973. True first US edition (poems).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Harcourt Brace Jovanovich hardcover, 1973
- Identify the first printing by the copyright-page statement reading First edition followed by the letter string BCDE. During 1973 to 1983 HBJ dropped the leading A, so a genuine first printing of this era reads First edition / BCDE; later printings shorten the string (CDE, DE, and so on)
- The book is a slim volume of poems in dust jacket; verify the print line rather than relying on the year alone, since some copies are described by dealers as edition-not-stated
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Wendell Berry |
| Publisher | Harcourt Brace Jovanovich |
| Year | 1973 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Harcourt Brace Jovanovich hardcover, 1973 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich hardcover, 1973. Identify the first printing by the copyright-page statement reading First edition followed by the letter string BCDE. During 1973 to 1983 HBJ dropped the leading A, so a genuine first printing of this era reads First edition / BCDE; later printings shorten the string (CDE, DE, and so on). The book is a slim volume of poems in dust jacket; verify the print line rather than relying on the year alone, since some copies are described by dealers as edition-not-stated.

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition (poems). The 1973 HBJ hardcover with the First edition / BCDE print line is the collected first; distinguish it from the softcover HBJ/Harvest issue.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club edition concern. Confirm the first printing by the BCDE letter string, not by the 1973 date, since a stated first-edition line is the reliable point.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Country of Marriage* by Wendell Berry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-country-of-marriage
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.