# Is "The Love Letters" by Madeleine L'Engle a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Love Letters by Madeleine L'Engle (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1966) is identified by: True first is the FSG hardcover with the copyright page dated 1966 and a stated first printing, in the first-issue dust jacket bearing the original printed price. US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- True first is the FSG hardcover with the copyright page dated 1966 and a stated first printing, in the first-issue dust jacket bearing the original printed price
- An adult novel, not a childrens book
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Madeleine L'Engle |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 1966 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | True first is the FSG hardcover with the copyright page dated 1966 and a stated first… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
True first is the FSG hardcover with the copyright page dated 1966 and a stated first printing, in the first-issue dust jacket bearing the original printed price. An adult novel, not a childrens book.

## Is this the true first?
US Farrar, Straus and Giroux first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later book-club printings are typically unpriced on the jacket flap and can be reprinted from the first-edition plates; treat an unpriced jacket as a caution flag.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Love Letters* by Madeleine L'Engle a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-love-letters
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.