# Is "Hope of Heaven" by John O'Hara a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Hope of Heaven by John O'Hara (Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1938) is identified by: "First Edition" stated on the copyright page (verso of the title leaf). The US Harcourt, Brace and Company printing (1938) is the true first; a UK Faber and Faber edition followed.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- "First Edition" stated on the copyright page (verso of the title leaf)
- Bound in black cloth (boards) lettered in gilt on the spine
- 182 pages, octavo
- This was O'Hara's fourth book and third novel
- The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap; a copy in an unclipped jacket is preferred, though the stated-edition point on the copyright page, not the jacket, establishes the first printing
- Publisher imprint reads Harcourt, Brace and Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | John O'Hara |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace and Company |
| Year | 1938 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | "First Edition" stated on the copyright page (verso of the title leaf) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
"First Edition" stated on the copyright page (verso of the title leaf). Bound in black cloth (boards) lettered in gilt on the spine; 182 pages, octavo. This was O'Hara's fourth book and third novel. The first-issue dust jacket should retain its printed price on the front flap; a copy in an unclipped jacket is preferred, though the stated-edition point on the copyright page, not the jacket, establishes the first printing.

## Is this the true first?
The US Harcourt, Brace and Company printing (1938) is the true first; a UK Faber and Faber edition followed.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Reprints omit the "First Edition" statement on the copyright page.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Hope of Heaven* by John O'Hara a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/hope-of-heaven
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.