# Is "The Keep" by Jennifer Egan a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Keep by Jennifer Egan (Alfred A. Knopf, 2006) is identified by: First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page following Knopf's convention; issued in boards with rust-orange cloth sides and a black spine lettered in rust-orange. US Knopf first edition (ISBN 1-4000-4392-1 / 978-1-4000-4392-7); precedes the UK Abacus edition of 2007.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page following Knopf's convention; issued in boards with rust-orange cloth sides and a black spine lettered in rust-orange
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the flap
- Publisher imprint reads Alfred A. Knopf
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Jennifer Egan |
| Publisher | Alfred A. Knopf |
| Year | 2006 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page following Knopf's convention; issued in boards with rust-orange cloth sides and… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
First printing states 'First Edition' on the copyright page following Knopf's convention; issued in boards with rust-orange cloth sides and a black spine lettered in rust-orange. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the flap.

## Is this the true first?
US Knopf first edition (ISBN 1-4000-4392-1 / 978-1-4000-4392-7); precedes the UK Abacus edition of 2007.

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

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Keep* by Jennifer Egan a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-keep
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.