# Is "The Yearling" by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (Charles Scribner's Sons, 1938) is identified by: The Scribner first printing carries the letter A on the copyright page with the Scribner seal beneath it; that A plus seal is the definitive point. US Scribner 1938 true first; the Scribner A plus seal on the copyright page is the definitive point.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- The Scribner first printing carries the letter A on the copyright page with the Scribner seal beneath it; that A plus seal is the definitive point
- Publisher's cream linen over boards, front cover decorated and titled in green, spine lettered in green
- Chapter headings and title-page vignette by Edward Shenton
- First-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Charles Scribner's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings |
| Publisher | Charles Scribner's Sons |
| Year | 1938 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | The Scribner first printing carries the letter A on the copyright page with the Scribner seal beneath it; that A plus seal is the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
The Scribner first printing carries the letter A on the copyright page with the Scribner seal beneath it; that A plus seal is the definitive point. Publisher's cream linen over boards, front cover decorated and titled in green, spine lettered in green. Chapter headings and title-page vignette by Edward Shenton. First-issue jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Scribner 1938 true first; the Scribner A plus seal on the copyright page is the definitive point.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club copies lack the Scribner seal on the copyright page and are typically printed on thinner, cheaper paper. Note that a Book-of-the-Month Club notice on the jacket is merely advertising and does not by itself indicate a club-edition book block. Later illustrated editions (N. C. Wyeth) are not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Yearling* by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-yearling
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.