Name: Heather Margaret's review of Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
Item: Magic Lessons
Rating: 5
Author: Heather Margaret

Alice Hoffman

In this “ bewitching” (The New York Times Book Review) novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. Where does the story of the Owens bloodline begin? With Maria Owens, in the 1600s, when she’s abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby. Under the care of Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Nameless Arts.” Hannah recognizes that Maria has a gift and she teaches the girl all she knows. It is here that she learns her first important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back. When Maria is abandoned by the man who has declared his love for her, she follows him to Salem, Massachusetts. Here she invokes the curse that will haunt her family. And it’s here that she learns the rules of magic and the lesson that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. Love is the only thing that matters. Magic Lessons is a “heartbreaking and heart-healing” (BookPage) celebration of life and love and a showcase of Alice Hoffman’s masterful storytelling.

Book #1 of the Practical Magic Series

Magic Lessons

In an unforgettable novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. Where does the story of the Owens bloodline begin? With Maria Owens, in the 1600s, when she’s abandoned in a snowy field in rural England as a baby. Under the care of Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Unnamed Arts.” Hannah recognizes that Maria has a gift and she teaches the girl all she knows. It is here that she learns her first important lesson: Always love someone who will love you back. When Maria is abandoned by the man who has declared his love for her, she follows him to Salem, Massachusetts. Here she invokes the curse that will haunt her family. And it’s here that she learns the rules of magic and the lesson that she will carry with her for the rest of her life. Love is the only thing that matters. Magic Lessons is a celebration of life and love and a showcase of Alice Hoffman’s masterful storytelling.

The Prequel to Practical Magic

Cassidy Nolan

These are the lessons to be learned. Drink chamomile tea to calm the spirit. Feed a cold and starve a fever. Read as many books as you can. Always choose courage. Never watch another woman burn. Know that love is the only answer.

“To any man who ever loves an Owens, let this curse befall you, let your fate lead to disaster, let you be broken in body and soul, and may it be that you never recover.”

They always want to burn a woman who defies the rules. They want to turn lies into the truth.

Love was the thing that tore you apart; it made you believe the lies you were told, obvious as they might be. It was nearly impossible to see your own fate while it was happening to you. It was only after, when what’s done had been done, that one’s vision cleared.

apparently including preying on 15 year old girls 🤢

All the same he was a man of thirty-seven, with a man’s flaws and weaknesses.

It was a dangerous world for women, and more dangerous for a woman whose very bloodline would have her do not as she was ordered, but as she pleased.

What you give will be returned to you threefold.

“Remember one thing,” Hannah told Maria. “Always love someone who will love you back.”

The beauty of that meadow reminded Hannah of the reasons to live in the world, and the reasons to mistrust those who saw wickedness in others, but never themselves.

jenny

Heather Margaret

“What gifts you had, you were meant to share. What you set out into the world came back to you threefold”
  
I want to burn the world and cherish being a woman to a daughter all at once while reading this book.

Kristen Claiborn

I read this book (the first in the trilogy) second...and the second one first. I hate it when I make that mistake. I did enjoy this one though. I dig a backstory.

Cheri McElroy

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 This novel was everything I wanted The Once and Future Witches to be. On the surface, it's the story of the beginning of the Owens' women and why that dreaded curse exists. It's about Maria, her daughter Faith, and the two men she loves. It's a sweeping historical story set in the 1600s, taking us from England to Curacao, Boston, Salem, and New York. The plot moves along well for a character-driven novel, and the character development top-notch.

I loved how Hoffman developed her themes, too. Nothing is heavy-handed, and she deals with topics such as the treatment of women, love, obsession, grief, and loss. I really loved this novel.

Fraser Simons

Not as good as Rules of Magic, but it’s worth noting I read that first, which is not the reading order. I enjoy the prose style and the characters but the whole witches in Salem in the Olden times thing is now something I’m full up on and have noticed I am pretty sick of stories in that time period. A major part of Rules of Magic that was appealing that it was relatively modern day. And, it was actually building up to Practical Magic much more so than this one (which I have on hold).

Sabetha Danes

Do you ever read a new book, and instantly it feels like home? 

Magic Lessons had that affect on me. Maybe because Practical Magic was apart of my childhood, or maybe because it was written in such a way that couldn't help but make your emotions intertwined with the story. Either way, I was sad to turn the last page. 

They story of Maria Owens felt familiar, yet new. I did not expect the way it ended at all, but yet deep down, I knew it was going to happen. So many lessons were learned between these pages. Of loss, hope, revenge, forgiveness, perseverance and most of all love. 

This book gives depth to Practical Magic. Made me feel like I was reading reality not fiction. At times I couldn't help but google random lessons written in the pages just to check if Alice made them up or if she researched witches. I won't spoil which it is for you.

Instead I will leave you with Maria's update to Hannah's rules:
Do as you will, but harm no one.
What you give will be returned to you threefold.
Fall in love whenever you can.

While I know you'll love this book if you love the world created by Alice Hoffman. Even if you haven't read any of her books, but love witches, you'll enjoy discovering the life of Maria Owens.

April Romero

Alice Hoffman never fails to create such a magical story. With entrancing writing and characters you can't help but fall in love with.

Cassidy Webb

Going to read the entire series to see if the plot holes fill themselves in but this was still a fun read! It was even more interesting after going to Salem and remembering the various places that were mentioned in this book. 

Lauren Attaway

It’s easy for me to just power through a book, but some books deserve room to sit with. I feel like I really gave this book time as I read it. I have a lot of love for the Alice Hoffman books I have read, though with her massive literary output I would never call myself a super fan. Practical Magic and the Rules of Magic are among my favorite books. I love her words. To me, her work is poetry prose on a page. I was nervous to read this book, because I was afraid I would not love it as much as I loved Practical Magic, and I didn’t think she could surprise me with two great prequels. I’m so happy I was wrong! 
To me, Magic Lessons is a story of mothers and daughters. If you have read or watched Practical Magic, you’re familiar with Maria Owens, the witch who curses all the men who fall in love with her female descendants. We see how she got to that curse, and how she came to understand her own legacy and power. There’s so much going on here but it is worth the read. I really loved this book. This is the extended universe of my dreams, ok! I would happily read a new book about the Owens women every fall.I fall more in love with this family with every book and I feel like I get a new favorite Owens witch every time. I think you will love this book more if you have read Practical Magic and Rules of Magic, but you’ll enjoy them in any order you come to these books. One of my favorites of the year and the perfect fall pick. 

Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

Kristina Masone

I'm reading this series for the first time, starting with this book first. I plan on rereading this once I've read the entire series.

I'm not particularly attached to any of the characters, however I do enjoy the writing.

Jordan Heustis

Hmmm I don’t think this one lived up to the hype for me. The beginning was very slow and it eventually did pick up but at that point I just didn’t care. I wonder if I would’ve liked it more has I read the original series 🤔

The 3 books in this series have been incredible and I now need to read every book Alice Hoffman has ever written

Valentina Cherednichenko

I'm a s**t for Practical Magic and anything related to it.

Heather Harrington

*I received a copy via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*

The Owens' women weren't always cursed when it comes to love, so how did it begin? Back in 1600's England, Maria is abandoned as a baby in a snowy field and taken in by a woman named Hannah Owens. Hannah does her best to raise the child and recognizes a certain power in Maria so she begins to teach her the ways of the Unnamed Arts. During this time, Maria is taught many things, with the most important lesson being to always love someone who will love you back. After Hannah's death, Maria is sent to live on a faraway island as a maid to a wealthy family. Here, she falls for John Hathorne, a man that she believes truly loves her, but one day, he abandons her, too. 

When Maria finds herself with child, she decides to cross the seas to follow this man to Salem, Massachusetts. On her journey, she meets Samuel Dias, a man unlike any other, but despite the feelings they both share, Maria refuses to give in. When she gets to Salem, she discovers that John had a family of his own and wants nothing to do with Maria or their child. Heartbroken and with no one to turn to, Maria seeks shelter in an old cabin and sets about making a home there for her and her daughter, making remedies and helping the local women who come to her door at night. Soon, Maria is charged with witchcraft and sentenced to hang by none other than John himself. On the morning of her hanging, thinking her life is over, Maria calls out a curse that will change the lives of all Owens women to come. But when she's rescued by Samuel, her true love, she must face the consequences of her rash decision.

Ever since watching Practical Magic for the first time, I've always been intrigued by the curse on the Owens family. Why does something terrible and tragic always happen to the men they fall in love with? Well, this beautifully lush story finally answered all my questions. Maria is such an interesting character to follow. She goes through so many ups and downs and betrayals, but she never truly lets the darkness engulf her. As fascinating as Maria is, her daughter, Faith, is even more so. Both women go through many hardships, and the way they each handle those trials and tribulations take them down vastly different paths, but they always come back to one another. Hoffman blends love, revenge, family, and the wonders of magic to make a completely captivating story. This is a very dense book, and there were moments where I found myself thinking, "Man, this is LONG," but overall, I really enjoyed it.

Kelsey Holtaway

** spoiler alert **
           This was between a 3 and a 4 for me.

I ended up enjoying this-I loved the added bits of history, the atmosphere, and the overall story. 

I did feel pretty disconnected from the characters though and I felt it dragged in some parts. What rounded this story up for me, ultimately, is that it ended happily and I didn't expect that given the nature of the curse. 

Oh that's another thing- what the hell, Maria? This dude comes across seas to rescue you and you curse love for Owen's women WHILE he's rescuing you??? Why? What? Why? It didn't...make sense. 

So. Anyway. Between a three and four for me.

Brittany Coleman

So this one was not a page turner for me I only finished reading it cause I don’t like not finishing books. I forced myself to finish it so I could move on to the next book. I love the overall story. I just couldn’t get through the way it was written. There was so much filler and inner conversations. Random bits. There wasn’t enough consistent meaningful storyline to keep me interested. This isn’t to say there weren’t great plot twists or plots. I love some of the character designs. It just had too much filler to keep me going. I needed less filler and more things going on to push the story forward.

SnarkByThePage

As a stand alone novel, I liked this very much. It's such a distant prequel, that I don't really feel it has much to do with Practical Magic at all. I confess that when it comes to Practical Magic, I much prefer the movie to the book, which is a rarity for me. 

This book tells the story of Maria Owens, born a witch and going through lots of trials and tribulations on her way to accepting who she is. She starts the strong female lineage of the Owens clan, and sets them on their path. Aside from that fact, this is a stand alone. The imagery was vivid, the emotions were well portrayed, and I did feel the angst of finding yourself in a world that isn't ready to accept who you really are was well done. I enjoyed the historical glimpse of what it was like from her perspective, during the witch trials. 

Also, I think the demonstration of a strong female in that time period, was well done and realistic. She had to find ways to be strong and independent, within the system in which she lived. 

All in all, I enjoyed this, and had it not been a prequel to Practical Magic, I might not have selected it. But if you're hoping for some link to that popular book, it has not much other than the last name Owens to give you.

jenny &
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

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