# Is "We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves" by Karen Joy Fowler a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves by Karen Joy Fowler (Marian Wood Book / G. P. Putnam's Sons, 2013) is identified by: First printing has the complete number line on the copyright page and the Marian Wood Book / G. The US Marian Wood Book / Putnam hardcover, published 30 May 2013, is the true first; it precedes the UK Serpent's Tail edition, which appeared later in 2013.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing has the complete number line on the copyright page and the Marian Wood Book / G. P. Putnam's Sons imprint (ISBN 978-0-399-16209-1)
- The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the flap (present, not clipped)
- Publisher imprint reads Marian Wood Book / G. P. Putnam's Sons
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Karen Joy Fowler |
| Publisher | Marian Wood Book / G. P. Putnam's Sons |
| Year | 2013 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing has the complete number line on the copyright page and the Marian Wood Book / G. P. Putnam's Sons imprint (ISBN… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First printing has the complete number line on the copyright page and the Marian Wood Book / G. P. Putnam's Sons imprint (ISBN 978-0-399-16209-1). The first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the flap (present, not clipped).

## Is this the true first?
The US Marian Wood Book / Putnam hardcover, published 30 May 2013, is the true first; it precedes the UK Serpent's Tail edition, which appeared later in 2013. The novel won the 2014 PEN/Faulkner Award for Fiction and was shortlisted for the 2014 Man Booker Prize.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club editions are the later state: typically a smaller, lighter-bulk volume, lacking the complete number line, and carrying a blind-stamped, unpriced jacket.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves* by Karen Joy Fowler a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/we-are-all-completely-beside-ourselves
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.