# Is "The Great Believers" by Rebecca Makkai a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai (Viking, 2018) is identified by: Full Penguin/Viking number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page; Viking imprint; dust jacket with the printed price present. The US Viking hardcover of 2018 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Full Penguin/Viking number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page
- Viking imprint; dust jacket with the printed price present
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Rebecca Makkai |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 2018 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Full Penguin/Viking number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Full Penguin/Viking number line reading 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 on the copyright page; Viking imprint; dust jacket with the printed price present.

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking hardcover of 2018 is the true first. The novel was a PEN/Faulkner finalist and a National Book Award finalist.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Because the awards postdate publication, any award seal on the jacket indicates a later printing or a sticker; the first printing's jacket carries no printed award seal. No distinct book-club issue confirmed.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Great Believers* by Rebecca Makkai a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-great-believers
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.