# Is "Gretta" by Erskine Caldwell a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Gretta by Erskine Caldwell (Little, Brown and Company, 1955) is identified by: Little, Brown first printings of this era carry 'First Edition' or 'First Printing' on the copyright page; dealer copies of the true first are described as 'first edition so stated.' Blue cloth, spine lettered in silver, with a dust jacket designed by Edward Karr; 242 pages. US edition is the true first; the UK edition followed from Heinemann in 1956.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition stated
- Little, Brown first printings of this era carry 'First Edition' or 'First Printing' on the copyright page; dealer copies of the true first are described as 'first edition so stated.' Blue cloth, spine lettered in silver, with a dust jacket designed by Edward Karr
- 242 pages
- Publisher imprint reads Little, Brown and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Erskine Caldwell |
| Publisher | Little, Brown and Company |
| Year | 1955 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition stated |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition stated. Little, Brown first printings of this era carry 'First Edition' or 'First Printing' on the copyright page; dealer copies of the true first are described as 'first edition so stated.' Blue cloth, spine lettered in silver, with a dust jacket designed by Edward Karr; 242 pages.

## Is this the true first?
US edition is the true first; the UK edition followed from Heinemann in 1956.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings are normally indicated; a Signet paperback followed in 1956.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Gretta* by Erskine Caldwell a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/gretta
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.