The points of issue
Counterpoint hardcover, Washington 1996 (ISBN 1887178105). Subtitled New and Selected Stories; thirty-five stories, nine of them new. First printing has the Counterpoint imprint on the title page and a price on the dust jacket flap. Verify the first-printing statement and number line on the copyright page.
Is this the true first?
The US Counterpoint hardcover (1996) is the true first. The collection won both the PEN/Faulkner Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and was Berriault's last book.
Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No prominent book-club issue identified. Confirm the Counterpoint first-printing line on the copyright page.
Frequently asked questions
Is my copy of Women in Their Beds a first edition?
Look for these first-edition points: Counterpoint hardcover, Washington 1996 (ISBN 1887178105). Subtitled New and Selected Stories; thirty-five stories, nine of them new. First printing has the Counterpoint imprint on the title page and a price on the dust jacket flap. Verify the first-printing statement and number line on the copyright page.
How do I tell the first printing from a later one?
Check the copyright page for the publisher's first-printing convention and confirm the points above. The US Counterpoint hardcover (1996) is the true first. The collection won both the PEN/Faulkner Award and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and was Berriault's last book.
Is the book-club edition the same as the first?
No prominent book-club issue identified. Confirm the Counterpoint first-printing line on the copyright page.
I have a first edition of Women in Their Beds — what should I do?
If you're clearing books, New Mexico Literacy Project offers free pickup in Albuquerque, any condition, and makes sure collectible copies aren't lost. To sell, see the author's collecting guide. Either way, nothing valuable ends up in a landfill.