# Is "The Awakening" by Kate Chopin a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Awakening by Kate Chopin (Herbert S. Stone & Co., 1899) is identified by: First edition, Herbert S. US true first, and effectively the only contemporary edition, 1899.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First edition, Herbert S. Stone & Co., Chicago and New York, 1899 (published April 22, 1899)
- Publisher's pale green cloth, decoratively stamped in dark green and red, with the spine lettered in red and top edge gilt
- The book was condemned on publication and Stone declined further printings, so there was essentially a single printing, making the genuine 1899 issue scarce in any state
- Publisher imprint reads Herbert S. Stone & Co.
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Kate Chopin |
| Publisher | Herbert S. Stone & Co. |
| Year | 1899 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First edition, Herbert S. Stone & Co., Chicago and New York, 1899 (published April 22, 1899) |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First edition, Herbert S. Stone & Co., Chicago and New York, 1899 (published April 22, 1899). Publisher's pale green cloth, decoratively stamped in dark green and red, with the spine lettered in red and top edge gilt. The book was condemned on publication and Stone declined further printings, so there was essentially a single printing, making the genuine 1899 issue scarce in any state.

## Is this the true first?
US true first, and effectively the only contemporary edition, 1899. Chopin's working title was 'A Solitary Soul'; it was published as 'The Awakening.' There is no competing UK first. The genuine first has the Stone green cloth with red-and-green stamping and gilt top edge.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
All modern reprints postdate by decades, the novel having been largely forgotten until its 1960s revival; the genuine first is the 1899 Herbert S. Stone issue.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Awakening* by Kate Chopin a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-awakening
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.