When I read Practical Magic I never dreamed I would be able to learn more of the Owens family history. Then came Rules of Magic, a prequel to Sally and Gillians story, and it took me more into the past and the fabulous Owens aunts - Frances and Jett's lives. Now comes Magic Lessons, yet another prequel; the story of how the Owens family settled in Salem over 200 years ago. As an infant, Maria Owens is found abandoned in a snowy field in rural England, and kindly herbalist Hannah takes her in and gives Maria her name and teaches her all she can. As she grows and learns, Maria watches Hannah create love charm after love charm and Maria vows that she will never love, which is not a vow she can keep, and love rules her life. She leaves England in order to save her own life, and she travels to Curacao, then off to Boston, and eventually Salem following love all the way.

The book is a true celebration of love and life and how things are not always as we think they are. Even the most practiced and cunning make mistakes and learn from them, discovering along the way that it is not always too late to change ones course in life. It was a fascinating book to read, and I enjoyed every moment!

In Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman, the story of Maria Owens is revealed as the matriarch of the Owens line that are characters in two earlier Hoffman books, Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. Maria was abandoned in 1644 (1620 in another of the books) as a baby in England. She was found by Hannah Owens who taught her all she knew about “Unnamed Arts.” Her biological mother Rebecca houses Maria when Hannah turns her loose into the world but because of her birth father who is NOT Rebecca’s husband, Rebecca sends Maria half a world away to the West Indies.

Young Maria is taken advantage of by John Hathorne – yes, that John Hathorne of the Salem Witch Trials -- and is left pregnant. She seeks him by securing passage on a ship to Massachusetts, where he denies her and his child. Because of her use of the herbs and such to help women in the community, a jealous woman reports to the courts that Maria is a witch. Hathorne would like nothing more than to solve his problem by having Maria drowned as a witch.

The book is beautifully written, and the plot is one that readers will want to read straight through. I am now primed to read the other two books in this series.

Alice Hoffman writes short stories as well as novels. Born in New York, Hoffman lives in Boston.

My review will be posted on Goodreads starting September 7, 2020.

I’d like to thank Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in return for an objective review.

Oh my gosh Alice Hoffman has written another 5⭐️ story. She one of my favorite authors, if not THE favorite. This is a prequel to Rules of Magic (also 5⭐️) which when published a few years ago as a prequel to Practical Magic. But whatever Hoffman writes about from witches to WW2 to contemporary to historical fiction set centuries ago, her writing is magical. Highly recommend this one publishing in Oct. Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster. Meanwhile read her The World We Knew published last year and one of my all time favorite reads. ❤️

Thank you Alice Hoffman, for writing another wonderful book about witches that is just in time for the fall season. This newest novel is a prequel to her popular Practical Magic that was published in 1995 and very likely will be just as popular.

The story begins with Hannah Owens, who finds a baby girl in the snow and takes her to raise as her own. Hannah has special gifts and she recognizes the same gifts in the little girl, Maria. As Maria grows, Hannah teaches her about herbs and healing and about love.

As the story unfolds, we find out more about Maria’s background. When a tragedy occurs, it sets Maria on the path that will eventually bring her to Salem, Massachusetts, where her descendants will make their home.

Magic Lessons fills in the questions about the background of the sisters in Practical Magic and why the Owens women ended up cursed by love. I really enjoyed this and recommend it to readers who enjoyed Hoffman’s previous books, as well as those who love historical fiction, fantasy and all things witchy.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an advance copy and give my honest review.

So at first this book was a bit slow for me, but because it’s Alice Hoffman, I persisted, knowing it would eventually turn out to be great. And I was not disappointed,, because it was. I’ve read and pretty much own every book ever written by. Ms. Hoffman, be it YA or Adult . I’ve probably read each once at least twice and can never pin point my favorite when asked because I love them all, butPractucal Magic and it’s series of following books are probably my favorite . . So another great one for my collection ..
Thanks to Netgalley, Alice Hoffman and her publishing company for my ARC.

Do what you will, but harm no one.
What you give will be returned to you threefold.


Be warned. This isn’t a happy book. It’s about sadness and spells, loss and love, deaths and despair, crushed hopes and dreams, and yet for me, the pages flew by and I didn’t want the story to end. Like a spell, I was enchanted by its writing and storytelling. I mean, what can I say, it’s Alice Hoffman, and I’m already a fan of the Owens after reading Practical Magic and Rules of Magic, both of which I loved.

It was set during a time when women who were believed to be witches were persecuted. The story was divided into 6 chapters, starting from the year 1664, in a place called Devotion Field in Essex County, England, ending in year 1696 in Salem, Massachusetts.

Maria was born with a star tattoo on the inside of her arm, marking her as a witch, making her a natural in healing and curing, while being guided by herb kind, adoptive mother, Hannah Owens, who was a master of the Nameless Art and green magic, but whose life met with a tragic end.

The event that killed Hannah involved her biological mother and love that gone wrong, marred Maria forever and she vowed never to fall in love. But love was in her fate. She met John Hathorne, and couldn’t stop thinking about him while he pursued her shamelessly even though he was already married. It was too late when Maria found out because then she already had their daughter, Faith. Their relationship didn’t end well.

When Maria was accused of being a witch, she was sentenced to hang. On her hanging day, which she escaped with the help of Samuel Dias, whose life she saved before, she made a curse that men who ever love an Owens, disaster will follow them. And yet, Samuel wouldn’t stop loving her despite her warnings.

Throughout the years, Maria avoided love, always keeping to herself and continued to do what she does best and one that gave her peace - to serve the women who came to her for help, using the knowledge of magic and spells she had accumulated throughout the years. She found friends at the most unexpected places, who in turn, returned her kindness with fierce loyalty.

When the pace picked up at the second half of the book, I couldn’t stop reading. Faith’s life suddenly took a turn, Samuel Dias decided to return to Maria despite the curse, and Maria decided to seek the woman who took Faith from her. What was to become to all of them? Will there be a happy ending? It was hard to say because I was proven wrong time and time again throughout the story.

There wasn’t one character that was unnecessary. Everyone had a role to play and I grew to care for most of them especially Maria, Samuel and his father; Cadin, Maria’s crow; Finney, Faith’s friend, and Keeper, her wolf.

My eyes and mind were glued to the pages, not one minute my attention wavered. I read while I cooked resulting in getting my left ring finger burned; I read while walking up and down the stairs, almost slipping once; I read while the family watched TV; and I haven’t read like this in a long while.

Magic Lessons is a highly imaginative, well-told fairytale. To enjoy the journey, suspend disbelief, then let the book do its magic!

For fans of the Owens, this is a must-read! I think this will be a good start too if you’re interested in getting started with the Practical Magic series!

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for providing a free eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are mine.

Wow, wow, wow! Alice Hoffman is an amazing storyteller. Her novels read like fairy tales and I'm always so sad when they are over. Magic Lessons is a prequel in the Practical Magic series that introduces us to the very first of the Owens women. Set in the late 1600's when the Salem Witch Trials were at their peak. This book filled me with so many emotions. Anger at the idiot men that were so afraid of a woman with her own mind. Along with sadness, joy, fear and hope! I'm definitely going to re-read the other books in the series now.

4 magical stars! Alice Hoffman has such a way of weaving history, Magic and romance into one great story.
For me, I did have a rough time starting this book. It seemed so much darker than Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, however as you move forward it does match the overall theme and setting of the Salem Witch Trials where this story is centered.
I love how each installment answers questions from the previous book and fills in holes and how this book tells of the origination of the Owens family curse which was a central plot line in all three books.
My only complaint is that some chapters read as history lessons vs blending into the story, but overall very well written.
Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this free advanced copy for review.

I was thrilled to receive a copy of Magic Lessons. The Practical Magic series is one of my favorites and I love the Owens women. Magic Lessons is a prequel to the prequel of the series. Alice Hoffman is working backwards and has finally made her way to Maria Owens - the first of the Owens women to arrive in the US and the one who put the curse on any man who dares to love an Owens woman.

After her birth in England, Maria is left in a field by her biological mother and is lucky enough to be found by Hannah, a local woman who practices the Nameless Arts. Hannah teaches Maria everything she knows, but notices that Maria has a natural aptitude of her own. She shows all of the signs of a bloodline witch. Maria is forced to flee Hannah's home after a terrifying incident. Maria finds her biological mother and father, who quickly sell her off as an indentured servant to wealthy people in Curaçao. It's there that she meets John Hathorne, the magistrate from Salem who becomes the father of Maria's child and the first recipient of the Owens curse.

This first half of the book was sprinkled with magic lessons - herbs and tinctures to mend what's broken. These magical lessons kept me interested in the novel, and the second half really gained steam.

The second half has Maria and her daughter, Faith, living in Salem and then New York City. We follow Maria and Faith through Maria's own witch trial in Salem and her escape from the gallows. While in jail, Faith is kidnapped by a jealous and petty woman and they run away to Brooklyn. Maria's magic tells her that Faith is in New York City and she spends years searching for her daughter. While in captivity, Faith slowly learns about her own bloodline powers, which she uses for dark purposes.

This is a fantastic edition to this series and is full of cozy witchy-ness that's perfect for this Fall season. You might find that the beginning is a bit slow, but hang in there. The second half easily makes up for it all!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of Magic Lessons in exchange for an honest review.

"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."

October is Practical Magic month, so what better way to celebrate than a new book about the Owens women?

The third novel in the Practical Magic series takes us all the way back to Maria Owens and the Salem Witch Trials, and I loved every second of it. Didn’t want it to end. The history, herbs, enchantments, heartache and adventure of a fiercely independent woman in the 17th Century. Read this when you are in the mood for a story of love and magic set in the 17th Century. It is The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne meets Burial Rites by Hannah Kent. Best paired with rum imported from the West Indies and a bag of oranges from Spain. XO, Tara

Loved this prequel to Practical Magic! I was absolutely fully immersed in Maria Owen’s life story from the moment I picked this book up!! It was amazing almost lyrical, definitely full of many heart thumping moments that had me almost wishing I could influence some of the character's actions as the story progressed. I’m not saying more because Definitely a beautiful story not to be missed! If you loved Practical Magic, then The Rules of Magic you will for sure this tale of love, revenge, and home. I am definitely going to reread/rewatch Practical Magic now too! Thank you SO much to NG for the ARC!

‘Rules of magic:
Do as you will, but harm no one.
What you give will be returned to you threefold.’

This took me a while to get into because the writing is ‘dry’/nonemotional?... not sure how else to describe it. Once I got used to this I really grew to enjoy the rhythm and appreciate how this lent to the overall feel of the story. A very well developed novel with characters to love and characters to hate... and characters that teetered in-between. I’ve not read the previous novel nor seen the movie (which I intend to now watch) and I think that this will be a real treat for readers that are already fans. 4 stars.

‘(Additional) Rule of magic:
Fall in love whenever you can.’

When I was a child, I enjoyed everything witchcraft and witches in a fun sorta Bewitched kinda way. Samantha Stevens is by far my favorite fantastical witch.

However, in my adult years I can never seem to grasp anything fantasy or science fiction that requires the use my rather dormant imagination.

I’ve been wanting to read this series and when I saw this offered on Netgalley, I thought well this would be the perfect place to start with a prequel of a series I am interested in.

I learned something about myself today which is I still cannot wrap my head around fantasy type books no matter how hard I try. I gave up and did not finish which makes me sad, but also I couldn’t endure much more.

The writing is quite good, but I simply could not connect to anything in this book which is of no fault of the author but rather my own lack of imagination. I am quite sure Alice Hoffman fans and readers of this series will find it quite good.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC in exchange of my honest opinion. In the future, I will stick to trusted genres.

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman is the prequel to her book Practical Magic that was made into a movie. Magic Lessons takes place during the witch trials during the 1600's in Salem, Mass. It tells the story of Hannah, Maria, and Faith Owens who are ancestors to the Owens sisters that you know from Practical Magic.

I wanted to love this book but it was just okay for me, and I can't really put my finger on the problem. The story was good, but seemed slow at times. There was a lot of descriptive paragraphs that set the scene, but maybe went a little long. I do think that if you read and enjoyed Practical Magic that you must read Magic Lessons.

Thank you to #NetGalley for allowing me to review and give my honest opinion of #MagicLessons.

Alice Hoffman is an author I recommend all the time, and I have enjoyed her past stories about the Owens women of Magnolia Lane. In Magic Lessons, Hoffman takes us back to the beginning of the Owens curse and fleshes out the life of Maria Owens, who started the whole thing.

Hoffman skillfully blends historical elements with lush and lyrical writing, telling stories of the women of the time and how their actions shaped the future of their descendants. All the emotions are here: love, loss, heartbreak, jealousy, betrayal, rage, compassion, tenderness - which all come together in a whirlwind of a story that starts in Essex England and ends in Essex Massachusetts.

Fans of Practical Magic will thoroughly enjoy this prequel; Hoffman fans in general will enjoy.

Magic Lessons gave me the same fairy tale feeling that I got from reading Practical Magic, but with a completely historical setting this time. I appreciated the feminist themes and the ways the women protected each other. It was interesting to get the back story to Practical Magic in this prequel, and have a better understanding of how family history affected their contemporary lives.

Alice Hoffman weaves her magic again and delivers the spellbinding prequel to Practical Magic and the history of the mysterious Owens women.

this started out a bit slow for me. i did like it in the end, but it just took a bit to get there. i do think you'll get more out of this book if you read and enjoyed the other two, even though it's a prequel.

For you fans of Practical Magic here is the backstory. This is the origin story of that curse on men who love Owens women. It is a very enjoyable read taking us from England to Barbados to New England. There is good magic and bad, a search for a child and a battle between good and evil. Yes, Alice Hoffman is giving us all the things in the story, including a very satisfying ending.