# Is "The Glass Castle: A Memoir" by Jeannette Walls a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls (Scribner, 2005) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First Scribner edition 2005' and carries a full number line counting down to 1, identifying the first printing. The US Scribner edition is the true first, preceding the UK (Virago) edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First Scribner edition 2005' and carries a full number line counting down to 1, identifying the first printing
- ISBN 0-7432-4753-1; first-issue jacket retains the printed price unclipped
- Publisher imprint reads Scribner
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jeannette Walls |
| Publisher | Scribner |
| Year | 2005 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First Scribner edition 2005' and carries a full number line counting down to 1, identifying the first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First Scribner edition 2005' and carries a full number line counting down to 1, identifying the first printing. ISBN 0-7432-4753-1; first-issue jacket retains the printed price unclipped.

## Is this the true first?
The US Scribner edition is the true first, preceding the UK (Virago) edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club hardcover of note; the usual confusion is with later Scribner printings. The 'First Scribner edition 2005' statement plus the full number line to 1 and the unclipped printed-price jacket identify the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Glass Castle: A Memoir* by Jeannette Walls a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-glass-castle-a-memoir
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.