Description
First edition, first printing of Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls, in the scarce first state dust jacket.
Octavo, 212pp. Red brick cloth, title stamped in white on spine. The first printing, with “first edition” statement on copyright page. Includes “advance reading copy” stamp on front endpaper. Dust remnant to top edge of text block, offsetting to endpapers, internally fine.
In the publisher’s near fine, first state dust jacket, $3.95 on front flap and no ISBN on rear flap, faint foxing to endpapers and verso, bright illustrations. Illustrated dust jacket by Reisie Lonette.
An exceptional copy and likely the best to appear on the public market.
Where the Red Fern Grows first appeared as a three-part series in The Saturday Evening Post in 1961, titled “The Hounds of Youth.” This first printing in book form also appeared in 1961, where it received positive reviews, but sales were sluggish. The book was published by Doubleday for an initial retail price of $3.95. A second printing appeared in 1971 with a price of $4.95 on the dust jacket and identical publication information on the copyright page, but without the “first edition” statement.
