# Is "Trust Exercise" by Susan Choi a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Trust Exercise by Susan Choi (Henry Holt, 2019) is identified by: Copyright page states 'First published in the United States in 2019 by Henry Holt and Company' and 'First Edition 2019', with the interleaved printing key '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' (the presence of the low numbers, and the sequence beginning with 1, marks the first printing). The US Henry Holt hardcover (2019) is the true first; it won the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction, published under the Henry Holt / Macmillan imprint.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Copyright page states 'First published in the United States in 2019 by Henry Holt and Company' and 'First Edition 2019', with the interleaved printing key '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' (the presence of the low numbers, and the sequence beginning with 1, marks the first printing)
- Henry Holt hardcover; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed retail price on the front flap and should be unclipped to present as-issued
- Later printings are stated on the copyright page and carry an advanced key
- Publisher imprint reads Henry Holt
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Susan Choi |
| Publisher | Henry Holt |
| Year | 2019 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Copyright page states 'First published in the United States in 2019 by Henry Holt and Company' and 'First Edition 2019', with the… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Copyright page states 'First published in the United States in 2019 by Henry Holt and Company' and 'First Edition 2019', with the interleaved printing key '1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2' (the presence of the low numbers, and the sequence beginning with 1, marks the first printing). Henry Holt hardcover; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed retail price on the front flap and should be unclipped to present as-issued. Later printings are stated on the copyright page and carry an advanced key.

## Is this the true first?
The US Henry Holt hardcover (2019) is the true first; it won the 2019 National Book Award for Fiction, published under the Henry Holt / Macmillan imprint.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No book-club issue is a concern. Confirm the stated 'First Edition 2019' together with the interleaved key beginning '1 3 5 7 9...'; a copy whose key has lost the 1 (e.g. beginning at 2 or higher) is a later printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Trust Exercise* by Susan Choi a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/trust-exercise
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.