# Is "The Preacher and the Slave" by Wallace Stegner a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Preacher and the Slave by Wallace Stegner (Houghton Mifflin Company, 1950) is identified by: Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1950. True first US novel.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1950
- First edition, first printing identified by the 1950 title-page date with no statement of a later printing on the copyright page
- Orange cloth boards, spine lettered in blue; jacket designed by William Barss
- Publisher imprint reads Houghton Mifflin Company
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Wallace Stegner |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin Company |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1950 |
| Book-club edition exists? | Yes |

## Points of issue
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1950. First edition, first printing identified by the 1950 title-page date with no statement of a later printing on the copyright page. Orange cloth boards, spine lettered in blue; jacket designed by William Barss.

## Is this the true first?
True first US novel. This 1950 title is the true first; the book was reissued in 1969 under the new title 'Joe Hill: A Biographical Novel.' Do not treat the 'Joe Hill' reissue as the first edition.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No major book-club edition concern; the 1969 'Joe Hill' retitling is a later edition, not the first.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Preacher and the Slave* by Wallace Stegner a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-preacher-and-the-slave
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.