# Is "The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love" by Oscar Hijuelos a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love by Oscar Hijuelos (Farrar, Straus & Giroux, 1989) is identified by: FSG first printing: 'First edition, 1989' stated on the copyright page. The US FSG 1989 edition is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- FSG first printing: 'First edition, 1989' stated on the copyright page
- Issued in red cloth with two small gilt crowns on the front board and gilt spine lettering; first-issue dust jacket (design by Fred Marcellino) carries the printed retail price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus & Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Oscar Hijuelos |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus & Giroux |
| Year | 1989 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | FSG first printing: 'First edition, 1989' stated on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
FSG first printing: 'First edition, 1989' stated on the copyright page. Issued in red cloth with two small gilt crowns on the front board and gilt spine lettering; first-issue dust jacket (design by Fred Marcellino) carries the printed retail price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The US FSG 1989 edition is the true first. The stated 'First edition, 1989' on the copyright page is the defining point. Winner of the 1990 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction; Hijuelos was the first Latino author to win the Pulitzer for Fiction.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club issues lack the 'First edition, 1989' statement and the printed jacket price (often blind-stamped on the rear board).

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love* by Oscar Hijuelos a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-mambo-kings-play-songs-of-love
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.