# Is "The Time of the Doves (orig. UK 'In Diamond Square')" by Mercè Rodoreda (trans. David H. Rosenthal) a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Time of the Doves (orig. UK 'In Diamond Square') by Mercè Rodoreda (trans. David H. Rosenthal) (Taplinger, New York, 1980) is identified by: First US edition under this title; Taplinger Publishing Company, New York, 1980, translated by David H. The world first is the Catalan 'La plaça del Diamant' (Club Editor, Barcelona, 1962).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First US edition under this title
- Taplinger Publishing Company, New York, 1980, translated by David H. Rosenthal from the Catalan 'La plaça del Diamant.' Approximately 201 pages, issued in cloth-backed boards in a dust jacket
- ISBN 0-8008-7731-4
- The first American edition is uncommon; confirm the 1980 Taplinger imprint and the Rosenthal translation credit
- Publisher imprint reads Taplinger, New York
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Mercè Rodoreda (trans. David H. Rosenthal) |
| Publisher | Taplinger, New York |
| Year | 1980 |
| True first | UK edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First US edition under this title |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First US edition under this title; Taplinger Publishing Company, New York, 1980, translated by David H. Rosenthal from the Catalan 'La plaça del Diamant.' Approximately 201 pages, issued in cloth-backed boards in a dust jacket; ISBN 0-8008-7731-4 (9780800877316). The first American edition is uncommon; confirm the 1980 Taplinger imprint and the Rosenthal translation credit.

## Is this the true first?
The world first is the Catalan 'La plaça del Diamant' (Club Editor, Barcelona, 1962). The true first English appearance, however, is an earlier UK translation: 'The Pigeon Girl,' translated by Eda O'Shiel, André Deutsch, London, 1967. The 1980 Taplinger 'The Time of the Doves' (Rosenthal translation) is the first US edition and a distinct, later translation rather than the first English.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
The 2013 Open Letter 'In Diamond Square' (Peter Bush translation) is a third, distinct translation, not a reprint. The 1967 André Deutsch 'The Pigeon Girl' is the true first English-language edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Time of the Doves (orig. UK 'In Diamond Square')* by Mercè Rodoreda (trans. David H. Rosenthal) a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-time-of-the-doves-orig-uk-in-diamond-square
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.