# Is "Hannah Coulter" by Wendell Berry a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry (Shoemaker & Hoard, 2004) is identified by: Shoemaker & Hoard (Washington, D.C.) first edition, first printing, 2004, ISBN 1-59376-036-1 (9781593760366), octavo, about 190 pages; recorded as Freedman A125b in the Berry bibliography. True first US edition of the novel, Berry's seventh novel and his first narrated in a woman's voice, published by Shoemaker & Hoard in 2004.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Shoemaker & Hoard (Washington, D.C.) first edition, first printing, 2004, ISBN 1-59376-036-1
- , octavo, about 190 pages; recorded as Freedman A125b in the Berry bibliography
- The first printing is identified by a complete number line beginning with 1 on the copyright page
- Bound in yellow paper over boards with a contrasting brown paper spine and gilt spine lettering, in a dust jacket lettered in blue and black on the spine, front, and back and carrying the printed price on the front flap (present on an unclipped copy)
- Publisher imprint reads Shoemaker & Hoard
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Wendell Berry |
| Publisher | Shoemaker & Hoard |
| Year | 2004 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Shoemaker & Hoard (Washington, D.C.) first edition, first printing, 2004, ISBN 1-59376-036-1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Shoemaker & Hoard (Washington, D.C.) first edition, first printing, 2004, ISBN 1-59376-036-1 (9781593760366), octavo, about 190 pages; recorded as Freedman A125b in the Berry bibliography. The first printing is identified by a complete number line beginning with 1 on the copyright page. Bound in yellow paper over boards with a contrasting brown paper spine and gilt spine lettering, in a dust jacket lettered in blue and black on the spine, front, and back and carrying the printed price on the front flap (present on an unclipped copy).

## Is this the true first?
True first US edition of the novel, Berry's seventh novel and his first narrated in a woman's voice, published by Shoemaker & Hoard in 2004. Confirm the first printing by the number line beginning with 1.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No significant book-club edition concern for the first printing; the later Counterpoint paperback reissue is a reprint. Confirm the first printing by the number line beginning with 1.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Hannah Coulter* by Wendell Berry a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/hannah-coulter
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.