# Is "Kate Vaiden" by Reynolds Price a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Kate Vaiden by Reynolds Price (Atheneum, 1986) is identified by: Atheneum first printing. US first (Atheneum, New York).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Atheneum first printing
- Through 1986 Atheneum stated First Edition on the copyright page (no number line); the original dust jacket is unclipped with the publisher's price intact
- The earlier draft cited a number line ending in 1, which is incorrect for a 1986 Atheneum title, and asserted a National Book Critics Circle Award that is disputed in award records; both have been removed
- Publisher imprint reads Atheneum
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Reynolds Price |
| Publisher | Atheneum |
| Year | 1986 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Atheneum first printing |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Atheneum first printing. Through 1986 Atheneum stated First Edition on the copyright page (no number line); the original dust jacket is unclipped with the publisher's price intact. The earlier draft cited a number line ending in 1, which is incorrect for a 1986 Atheneum title, and asserted a National Book Critics Circle Award that is disputed in award records; both have been removed.

## Is this the true first?
US first (Atheneum, New York).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book club edition lacks the stated First Edition on the copyright page, typically carries a blind stamp on the rear board, and has a jacket with no printed price.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Kate Vaiden* by Reynolds Price a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/kate-vaiden
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.