# Is "The Prince of Tides" by Pat Conroy a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy (Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1986) is identified by: The true first was published by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, in 1986, 567 pp. US Houghton Mifflin (Boston) 1986 is the true first and the collected first; the census cites a later UK Bantam edition, which is not independently confirmed here.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The true first was published by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, in 1986, 567 pp
- The first printing is identified by the complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page; later printings show a truncated/letter-prefixed line (e.g., "S10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3")
- It is bound with a navy blue cloth spine over gray paper-covered boards, the spine titled in gilt and the front cover blind-embossed, and issued in a priced dust jacket (price present at the flap)
- The number line and binding are corroborated across multiple dealer catalog descriptions
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Pat Conroy |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The true first was published by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, in 1986, 567 pp |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The true first was published by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, in 1986, 567 pp. The first printing is identified by the complete number line descending to 1 on the copyright page; later printings show a truncated/letter-prefixed line (e.g., "S10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3"). It is bound with a navy blue cloth spine over gray paper-covered boards, the spine titled in gilt and the front cover blind-embossed, and issued in a priced dust jacket (price present at the flap). The number line and binding are corroborated across multiple dealer catalog descriptions.

## Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin (Boston) 1986 is the true first and the collected first; the census cites a later UK Bantam edition, which is not independently confirmed here. US precedence is not in doubt.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
A book-club edition circulates (a major bestseller); standard BCE tells are the blind-stamp to the rear board, a dust jacket lacking the printed price, and no full descending number line on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Prince of Tides* by Pat Conroy a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-prince-of-tides
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.