# Is "The Secret Language of Snow" by Terry Tempest Williams a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Secret Language of Snow by Terry Tempest Williams (Sierra Club / Pantheon, 1984) is identified by: First edition, 1984, a Sierra Club Books / Pantheon Books co-publication (New York), illustrated by Jennifer Dewey and written with Ted Major. Williams's book-length debut, co-authored with her Teton Science School mentor Ted Major and recipient of a National Science Foundation Book Award; published the same year as Pieces of White Shell (Scribner, 1984).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, 1984, a Sierra Club Books / Pantheon Books co-publication (New York), illustrated by Jennifer Dewey and written with Ted Major
- Issued in hardcover, roughly 129 pages; a trade issue (ISBN 0-394-96574-4) and a library binding (ISBN 0-394-86574-X) both appear
- The first-state pictorial dust jacket should retain its printed price and is not price-clipped
- Publisher imprint reads Sierra Club / Pantheon
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Terry Tempest Williams |
| Publisher | Sierra Club / Pantheon |
| Year | 1984 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, 1984, a Sierra Club Books / Pantheon Books co-publication (New York)… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First edition, 1984, a Sierra Club Books / Pantheon Books co-publication (New York), illustrated by Jennifer Dewey and written with Ted Major. Issued in hardcover, roughly 129 pages; a trade issue (ISBN 0-394-96574-4) and a library binding (ISBN 0-394-86574-X) both appear. The first-state pictorial dust jacket should retain its printed price and is not price-clipped.

## Is this the true first?
Williams's book-length debut, co-authored with her Teton Science School mentor Ted Major and recipient of a National Science Foundation Book Award; published the same year as Pieces of White Shell (Scribner, 1984). Identify the first by the 1984 Sierra Club/Pantheon imprint before the later printings (2nd, 4th, etc.).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club-edition concern; watch for stated later printings on the copyright page, which are the common tell.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Secret Language of Snow* by Terry Tempest Williams a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-secret-language-of-snow
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.