# Is "The Sweet Forever" by George Pelecanos a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Sweet Forever by George Pelecanos (Little, Brown, 1998) is identified by: US Little, Brown hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1. US Little, Brown true first; third novel of the D.C.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- US Little, Brown hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1
- Bound in quarter black paper over brown cloth boards with silver spine lettering; dust jacket designed by Tom Brown, with the printed cover price present on the front flap of a first-issue jacket
- ISBN 0316691097
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | George Pelecanos |
| Publisher | Little, Brown |
| Year | 1998 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | US Little, Brown hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a full… |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
US Little, Brown hardcover, stated "First Edition" on the copyright page with a full number line ending in 1. Bound in quarter black paper over brown cloth boards with silver spine lettering; dust jacket designed by Tom Brown, with the printed cover price present on the front flap of a first-issue jacket. ISBN 0316691097.

## Is this the true first?
US Little, Brown true first; third novel of the D.C. Quartet.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
None significant; verify by the stated First Edition and number line ending in 1 rather than jacket alone.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Sweet Forever* by George Pelecanos a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-sweet-forever
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.