# Is "The Keepers of the House" by Shirley Ann Grau a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Keepers of the House by Shirley Ann Grau (Alfred A. Knopf, 1964) is identified by: Knopf first edition (309, [1] pp) with FIRST EDITION stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi device. The US Knopf 1964 printing is the true first; the stated FIRST EDITION designation, together with the Borzoi colophon and full green cloth, are the identifying points.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Alfred A. Knopf first edition (309, [1] pp) with FIRST EDITION stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi device
- Bound in full green cloth
- The first-issue dust jacket was designed by George Salter and carries the printed retail price on the front flap
- The novel won the 1965 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, so a genuine first-issue jacket predates any prize/award banner
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Shirley Ann Grau |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 1964 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Alfred A. Knopf first edition (309, [1] pp) with FIRST EDITION stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi device |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Alfred A. Knopf first edition (309, [1] pp) with FIRST EDITION stated on the copyright page beneath the Borzoi device. Bound in full green cloth. The first-issue dust jacket was designed by George Salter and carries the printed retail price on the front flap. The novel won the 1965 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, so a genuine first-issue jacket predates any prize/award banner.

## Is this the true first?
The US Knopf 1964 printing is the true first; the stated FIRST EDITION designation, together with the Borzoi colophon and full green cloth, are the identifying points.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the FIRST EDITION statement, are bound in cheaper cloth, and typically carry a blind-stamp (a small pressed dot or square depression) on the rear board; some also omit the printed price on the jacket flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Keepers of the House* by Shirley Ann Grau a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-keepers-of-the-house
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.