Miracle On 34th Street

Valentine Davies’ Miracle on 34th Street, the heart-warming holiday classic that gives generations of believers hope during the Christmas season, reached the screen and the bookshop at the same time. The best-selling novella about a disillusioned woman, her skeptical daughter, and a mysterious man who believes he is the real Santa Claus was originally written for the 1947 film with the same name, directed by George Seaton and John Payne, starring Maureen O'Hara, Natalie Wood, and Edmund Gwenn. Davies’ novella was published in conjunction with the film’s release.

Generations of believers in hope and goodwill have made Valentine Davies’ Miracle on 34th Street a treasured part of their holiday traditions. Millions of copies of this award-winning story have sold since its first publication in 1947, delighting readers of all ages. A facsimile edition of the book is now faithfully re-created, offering a new generation--and fans of the original--the beauty of the classic 1940s design. Details of how the book came to be written, and made into a beloved film, are included in a brief historical note. -

Harcourt Brace & Company of New York City published the first print edition of Miracle on 34th Street in 1947. The dust jacket of the 120-page first edition notes the original price of $1.75.

In October 2001, Harcourt Children’s Books published a 136-page facsimile edition of Miracle on 34th Street. This volume recreates the 1947 edition with heavy cream-colored paper and a font that emulates the original hot-metal type.