# Is "Katherine" by Anya Seton a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Katherine by Anya Seton (Houghton Mifflin, 1954) is identified by: Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1954 first edition (published July 1954). US Houghton Mifflin 1954 is the true first of this foundational historical romance; the UK (Hodder & Stoughton) edition follows as a separate first-in-territory.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1954 first edition (published July 1954)
- Look for Houghton Mifflin's first-printing convention on the copyright page with no additional-printing or later-date statements, and a priced first-issue dust jacket
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Anya Seton |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Year | 1954 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1954 first edition (published July 1954) |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Houghton Mifflin, Boston, 1954 first edition (published July 1954). Look for Houghton Mifflin's first-printing convention on the copyright page with no additional-printing or later-date statements, and a priced first-issue dust jacket.

## Is this the true first?
US Houghton Mifflin 1954 is the true first of this foundational historical romance; the UK (Hodder & Stoughton) edition follows as a separate first-in-territory.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Book-club edition is common (blind-stamp or dot to the rear board, no flap price, thinner boards); the novel has been near-continuously reprinted, so most copies are later.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Katherine* by Anya Seton a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/katherine
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.