# Is "When I Was a Child I Read Books: Essays" by Marilynne Robinson a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of When I Was a Child I Read Books: Essays by Marilynne Robinson (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2012) is identified by: Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover, 2012 (ISBN 9780374298784), stating 'First edition' on the copyright page with a descending number line ending in 1. FSG (US) first edition, 2012 (ISBN 9780374298784); the stated 'First edition' wording with the number line ending in 1 is confirmed by dealer descriptions of firsts.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover, 2012 (ISBN 9780374298784), stating 'First edition' on the copyright page with a descending number line ending in 1
- The essay collection was published March 2012; a true first pairs the stated 'First edition' line with the intact first-state jacket retaining its printed price on the flap
- Publisher imprint reads Farrar, Straus and Giroux
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Marilynne Robinson |
| Publisher | Farrar, Straus and Giroux |
| Year | 2012 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover, 2012 (ISBN 9780374298784), stating 'First edition'… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Farrar, Straus and Giroux hardcover, 2012 (ISBN 9780374298784), stating 'First edition' on the copyright page with a descending number line ending in 1. The essay collection was published March 2012; a true first pairs the stated 'First edition' line with the intact first-state jacket retaining its printed price on the flap.

## Is this the true first?
FSG (US) first edition, 2012 (ISBN 9780374298784); the stated 'First edition' wording with the number line ending in 1 is confirmed by dealer descriptions of firsts.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *When I Was a Child I Read Books: Essays* by Marilynne Robinson a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/when-i-was-a-child-i-read-books-essays
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.