# Is "Portrait in Sepia" by Isabel Allende a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende (HarperCollins, 2001) is identified by: First US edition published by HarperCollins, New York, 2001; translated by Margaret Sayers Peden; includes a genealogical table. First English-language edition of Retrato en sepia (originally published in Spanish, 2000).

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First US edition published by HarperCollins, New York, 2001; translated by Margaret Sayers Peden; includes a genealogical table
- A true first shows the HarperCollins imprint and a complete number line ending in 1
- Publisher imprint reads HarperCollins
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Isabel Allende |
| Publisher | HarperCollins |
| Year | 2001 |
| True first | — |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First US edition published by HarperCollins, New York, 2001; translated by Margaret… |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
First US edition published by HarperCollins, New York, 2001; translated by Margaret Sayers Peden; includes a genealogical table. A true first shows the HarperCollins imprint and a complete number line ending in 1.

## Is this the true first?
First English-language edition of Retrato en sepia (originally published in Spanish, 2000).

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No notable book-club edition affecting the first printing.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Portrait in Sepia* by Isabel Allende a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/portrait-in-sepia
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.