In the Lake of the Woods — Tim O’Brien — Signed First Edition / First Printing (1994)

A handsome signed first edition/first printing of In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O’Brien, published by Houghton Mifflin / Seymour Lawrence, 1994. Copyright page shows the full 1994 publication data with the first edition points present, and the original ISBN 0-395-51694-7.

This copy is personally inscribed and signed by Tim O’Brien on the title page in blue ink: “To Deborah, Peace! Tim O’Brien.” The signature is clear and unfaded, adding strong collectible appeal for readers of The Things They Carried and modern American literature.

• Edition: True first edition, first printing (Houghton Mifflin / Seymour Lawrence, 1994)

• Signature: Warm, full-page inscription and signature by Tim O’Brien on the title page

• Binding: Hardcover in original publisher’s cloth-backed boards

• Dust jacket: Present, clean, and not price-clipped, with the original jacket price intact

• Condition (book): Tight binding, clean pages, no writing or remainder marks beyond the author’s inscription

• Condition (jacket): Bright, glossy jacket with only very light shelfwear; no chips, tears, or sun-fading visible

A strong, collector-grade copy: signed, first edition, first printing, in attractive condition—ideal for Tim O’Brien collectors, contemporary fiction shelves, or a gift for fans of literary Vietnam-era narratives.

About the Author

Tim O’Brien is one of America’s most influential contemporary writers, best known for his powerful explorations of memory, truth, and the emotional aftershocks of war. A Vietnam veteran, O’Brien has spent his career examining how stories shape our understanding of trauma, guilt, and identity. His works—including The Things They Carried, Going After Cacciato, and In the Lake of the Woods—are taught widely in universities and celebrated for their blend of narrative invention and emotional honesty. O’Brien’s writing continues to resonate with readers who seek fiction that confronts the complexities of human experience with clarity, compassion, and moral depth.

About the Book

In the Lake of the Woods (1994) stands as one of Tim O’Brien’s most haunting and ambitious novels. Set in the remote wilderness of northern Minnesota, the story follows John and Kathy Wade—whose marriage, secrets, and shared silences unravel after a political scandal tied to John’s past in Vietnam. When Kathy suddenly disappears, the novel fractures into “Evidence,” “Hypothesis,” and “Footnotes,” creating a gripping, investigative structure that mirrors the way trauma distorts memory and truth.

Blending mystery, psychological portraiture, and literary experimentation, O’Brien crafts a narrative where the central question — What happened to Kathy Wade? — remains deliberately unresolved. Instead, the novel invites readers to confront the limits of certainty, the weight of guilt, and the stories we tell to survive the past. Widely regarded as O’Brien’s strongest post–Things They Carried work, In the Lake of the Woods is a modern classic of American fiction: unsettling, elegant, and unforgettable.