The points of issue
First UK trade edition in boards with gilt-lettered spine and dust jacket; complete number line descending to 1. A separate signed and numbered limited issue was also produced. The exact trade-jacket price could not be independently confirmed, so no specific figure is asserted here.
Is this the true first?
Jonathan Cape (London) first edition published 11 April 2008, preceding the US Random House edition.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings note the impression on the copyright page; the true first carries the full number line ending in 1.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of The Enchantress of Florence a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: First UK trade edition in boards with gilt-lettered spine and dust jacket; complete number line descending to 1. A separate signed and numbered limited issue was also produced. The exact trade-jacket price could not be independently confirmed, so no specific figure is asserted here.
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. Jonathan Cape (London) first edition published 11 April 2008, preceding the US Random House edition.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
Later printings note the impression on the copyright page; the true first carries the full number line ending in 1.
I have a first edition of The Enchantress of Florence — 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.