# Is "Ilsa" by Madeleine L'Engle a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of Ilsa by Madeleine L'Engle (Vanguard Press, 1946) is identified by: Vanguard Press first, 1946, with the title page and copyright page stating 1946 and no additional years or later-printing notice, consistent with Vanguard's first-edition practice of the period; roughly 416 pages. US Vanguard Press first edition, issued simultaneously in Canada by Copp Clark; the US Vanguard printing is the recognized first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- Vanguard Press first, 1946, with the title page and copyright page stating 1946 and no additional years or later-printing notice, consistent with Vanguard's first-edition practice of the period; roughly 416 pages
- The first-issue dust jacket carries a portrait of Ilsa signed 'leslie' and should retain its printed price on the flap
- An early adult novel and her scarcest book
- Publisher imprint reads Vanguard Press
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Madeleine L'Engle |
| Publisher | Vanguard Press |
| Year | 1946 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Children's / illustrated |
| Key point | Vanguard Press first, 1946, with the title page and copyright page stating 1946 and no additional years or later-printing notice… |
| Book-club edition exists? | No |

## Points of issue
Vanguard Press first, 1946, with the title page and copyright page stating 1946 and no additional years or later-printing notice, consistent with Vanguard's first-edition practice of the period; roughly 416 pages. The first-issue dust jacket carries a portrait of Ilsa signed 'leslie' and should retain its printed price on the flap. An early adult novel and her scarcest book.

## Is this the true first?
US Vanguard Press first edition, issued simultaneously in Canada by Copp Clark; the US Vanguard printing is the recognized first. Notoriously hard to find, as the book went out of print for decades and was effectively never reprinted after publication.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
No common book-club issue; be wary of ex-library copies and later facsimile scans, which are not the first edition.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *Ilsa* by Madeleine L'Engle a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/ilsa
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.