# Is "The Source of Light" by Reynolds Price a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Source of Light by Reynolds Price (Atheneum, 1981) is identified by: First US edition states First Edition on the copyright page. US first (Atheneum).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First US edition states First Edition on the copyright page
- Atheneum did not adopt a number line until the mid-1980s, so a 1981 first carries the First Edition statement and no number line
- Second volume of the Mayfield trilogy, following The Surface of Earth
- First-issue jacket carries the original price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Reynolds Price |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1981 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First US edition states First Edition on the copyright page |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First US edition states First Edition on the copyright page. Atheneum did not adopt a number line until the mid-1980s, so a 1981 first carries the First Edition statement and no number line. Second volume of the Mayfield trilogy, following The Surface of Earth. First-issue jacket carries the original price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US first (Atheneum).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club editions lack the First Edition statement, are printed on thinner bulk, typically carry a blind stamp to the lower rear board, and have a jacket with no flap price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Source of Light* by Reynolds Price a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-source-of-light
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.