# Is "The Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (HarperFlamingo, 1998) is identified by: Stated 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1. The US HarperFlamingo first is the true first; the UK Faber edition (1999) follows.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Stated 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1
- Dust jacket priced 'USA the printed price / Canada the printed price', unclipped
- Yellow-orange spine with black lettering; dark paper-covered boards
- ISBN 0-06-017540-0
- Publisher imprint reads HarperFlamingo
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Barbara Kingsolver |
| Publisher | HarperFlamingo |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Stated 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Stated 'FIRST EDITION' on the copyright page with a complete number line ending in 1. Dust jacket priced 'USA the printed price / Canada the printed price', unclipped. Yellow-orange spine with black lettering; dark paper-covered boards; 546 pp. ISBN 0-06-017540-0.

## Is this the true first?
The US HarperFlamingo first is the true first; the UK Faber edition (1999) follows. Pulitzer finalist and a 1999 Oprah selection.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Copies bearing an Oprah's Book Club seal and later HarperPerennial printings are NOT the first. An Oprah seal on the jacket usually indicates a later printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Poisonwood Bible* by Barbara Kingsolver a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-poisonwood-bible
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.