# Is "The Solace of Open Spaces" by Gretel Ehrlich a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Solace of Open Spaces by Gretel Ehrlich (Viking, 1985) is identified by: First printing with the Viking imprint, 1985, with the number line on the copyright page ending in 1 and a priced first-issue dust jacket. The US Viking 1985 edition is the true first and Ehrlich's essay debut.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing with the Viking imprint, 1985, with the number line on the copyright page ending in 1 and a priced first-issue dust jacket
- A collection of Wyoming high-plains essays
- Publisher imprint reads Viking
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Gretel Ehrlich |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Year | 1985 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing with the Viking imprint, 1985, with the number line on the copyright page ending in 1 and a priced first-issue dust jacket |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing with the Viking imprint, 1985, with the number line on the copyright page ending in 1 and a priced first-issue dust jacket. A collection of Wyoming high-plains essays.

## Is this the true first?
The US Viking 1985 edition is the true first and Ehrlich's essay debut. The UK edition and later Penguin paperback are separate states.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Identified by the intact number line ending in 1 and the priced first-issue jacket; book-club copies typically lack the full number line and carry a blind stamp.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Solace of Open Spaces* by Gretel Ehrlich a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-solace-of-open-spaces
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.