# Is "The Rainmaker" by John Grisham a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Rainmaker by John Grisham (Doubleday, 1995) is identified by: The first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page together with the Doubleday split number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. US Doubleday hardcover (New York, 1995) is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page together with the Doubleday split number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2
- Issued in quarter cloth over boards with foil lettering to the spine and a pictorial dust jacket; the front flap should retain the original printed issue price (unclipped), which is a first-state jacket point
- ISBN 0-385-42473-6
- Publisher imprint reads Doubleday
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John Grisham |
| Publisher | Doubleday |
| Year | 1995 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page together with the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The first printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page together with the Doubleday split number line 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2. Issued in quarter cloth over boards with foil lettering to the spine and a pictorial dust jacket; the front flap should retain the original printed issue price (unclipped), which is a first-state jacket point. ISBN 0-385-42473-6.

## Is this the true first?
US Doubleday hardcover (New York, 1995) is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition is smaller, uses thinner boards, carries a blindstamp (small dot or maple leaf) to the lower rear cover, lacks the 'First Edition' statement and the split number line, and has no printed price on the jacket flap.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Rainmaker* by John Grisham a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-rainmaker
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.