# Is "Roman Stories (Racconti romani)" by Jhumpa Lahiri a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Roman Stories (Racconti romani) by Jhumpa Lahiri (Alfred A. Knopf, 2023) is identified by: First US printing states 'First American Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1. The Italian original 'Racconti romani' (Guanda, 2022) precedes; the Knopf edition is the first US English-language appearance, published 2023.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First US printing states 'First American Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1
- Story collection translated from the Italian by Lahiri with Todd Portnowitz (ISBN 978-0-593-53632-2)
- Bound in light blue boards with the title stamped in copper on the spine; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jhumpa Lahiri |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2023 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First US printing states 'First American Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1 |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First US printing states 'First American Edition' on the copyright page with a number line ending in 1. Story collection translated from the Italian by Lahiri with Todd Portnowitz (ISBN 978-0-593-53632-2). Bound in light blue boards with the title stamped in copper on the spine; first-issue dust jacket carries the printed price on the front flap.

## Is this the true first?
The Italian original 'Racconti romani' (Guanda, 2022) precedes; the Knopf edition is the first US English-language appearance, published 2023.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Roman Stories (Racconti romani)* by Jhumpa Lahiri a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/roman-stories-racconti-romani
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.