# Is "The Great Man" by Kate Christensen a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Great Man by Kate Christensen (Doubleday, 2007) is identified by: First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1, under the Doubleday imprint; the dust jacket carries the printed price. The US Doubleday hardcover (2007) is the true first edition; the novel won the 2008 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1, under the Doubleday imprint; the dust jacket carries the printed price
- Issued as a hardcover
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kate Christensen |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 2007 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1, under the Doubleday imprint; the dust jacket… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition states 'First Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1, under the Doubleday imprint; the dust jacket carries the printed price. Issued as a hardcover.

## Is this the true first?
The US Doubleday hardcover (2007) is the true first edition; the novel won the 2008 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions lack the 'First Edition' statement and number line, are slightly smaller, and have a jacket with no printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Great Man* by Kate Christensen a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-great-man
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.