A Death in the Family
by James Agee
A Death in the Family is James Agee's autobiographical novel, published posthumously by McDowell, Obolensky in New York in November 1957. Drawn from the death of Agee's father in a 1915 car accident, it won the 1958 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction and was adapted as the play and film All the Way Home.
- Editions tracked
- 2
- First edition
- McDowell, Obolensky, 1957
- First published
- McDowell, Obolensky, New York, 1957
- First UK edition
- Gollancz, 1958
The first edition of A Death in the Family by James Agee was published in New York by McDowell, Obolensky in 1957. We track 2 editions.
Which edition do you have?
First edition
- 1st McDowell, Obolensky1957 Hardback Sold £37 · Oct 2026 I own A Death in the Family, McDowell, Obolensky 1957 Log in to want this
Later and other editions
We have not yet researched the issue points for this book. If you know how to tell the first from later printings, tell us and we will credit you once it is checked against a second source.
Awards, adaptations and setting
Awards and honours
Adaptations
- All the Way Home adaptation
Setting and characters
- Set in
- Appalachian Mountains
- Genre
- autobiographical novel
In print
- Editions recorded
- 28 on Open Library, 25 in English
- Wikipedia
- Articles in 3 languages
From Wikidata and Open Library, both CC0. A prize or a new adaptation often lifts demand for the first printing.
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How to Identify a First Edition
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Read the guide →Frequently asked questions
Who published the first edition of A Death in the Family?
The first edition of A Death in the Family by James Agee was published in New York by McDowell, Obolensky in 1957.
How many editions of A Death in the Family are there?
We track 2 editions of A Death in the Family, including 1 first edition. Each has its own page with how to identify it.
Did A Death in the Family win any awards?
Yes: A Death in the Family won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1958), according to Wikidata.
Has A Death in the Family been adapted?
Yes, including All the Way Home (adaptation), according to Wikidata.
Where these facts come from
- A Death in the Family, Wikipedia (en.wikipedia.org)
- A death in the family (McDowell, Obolensky, 1957), Open Library (openlibrary.org)
- A death in the family (Panther edition, notes on UK first publication), Open Library (openlibrary.org)
Every fact on this page was checked against the sources listed. Checked 10 November 2026. Reviewed by Harriet Ellis; read how we check facts.