It started off slowly, much too slow, for my taste. The subject of magic was interesting and the suggested remedies were interesting to rrad.
Maria, brought up in the woods by a witch, learns first hand how these remedies work. As she grows older she will be quite powerful in helping others, especially in love, but love is something her magic won't help her find. What is real love is something she does not seem to find.
It was slow, then ok, then dragged enough that I skimmed until I finally felt it wasn't worth finishing.
Thank you NetGalley for an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest opinion

I read half of this book and just couldn’t bring myself to finish it. 😞 Unfortunately, my main takeaway from this book is that it is *so* narrow in its perspective—to the point where it feels like this book was not only just not written for everyone to read and enjoy, but that it was written *only* for people who exist in a non-intersectional white cis judeochristian heteronormative perspective.

I was never able to get into the story and I didn’t relate to any of the characters at all, nor did I ever really understand the motives behind their choices or feelings. And I think there’s a difference between writing a book *for* a certain perspective/identity/life-experience and doing so while still acknowledging a diversity of existences and experiences and reflecting more of an intersectional understanding of humanity that I felt like this book just didn’t accomplish.

I think in the end it was the primary theme of “blood makes a family”—the idea that unconditional love between people who are genetically related is both a norm and a value—as well as the misunderstanding of the role of nature in witchcraft (and especially the role of animals in witchcraft), in addition to the extreme cis-heteronormativity of the views and values expressed by the third person omniscient narrator, as well as the characters, that kept me from enjoying this book.

On top of that, however, was the lack of depth both in the book’s depiction of the historical time period in which it was set and the literary execution.

In particular the MC’s experiences onboard the various ships she traveled on was extremely unrealistic and the sugarcoating of the depiction of slavery in Curaçao as well as the erasure of the Indigenous experience in North America were rather upsetting. Especially coming somewhat fresh from reading The Devil and the Dark Water—which depicted life aboard a ship so vividly—and Washington Black—which demonstrated the pure evil of the reality of slavery (without turning into “trauma porn”, which I am not suggesting Hoffman should have done at all! just to be clear)—this book failed to keep up its promise of the “historical” part of historical fiction to the point where I felt that the lack of depth in this area very much detracted from the substance of the overall story.

In terms of the book’s literary execution (which I acknowledge is a point of personal preference) I felt that the story was told using too much narration and not enough of the action was played out for the reader to see. Characters’ feelings and perspectives were communicated by the third.per.om. narrator and not via the characters’ actions and dialogue. This style of writing almost always keeps me from being able to truly get to know the characters in a story and makes relating to them nearly impossible.

This book reminded me a lot of A Secret History of Witches which also fell flat for me for almost all of the exact same reasons. If you are looking for a book that is more of a romance novel than a historical fiction novel (and are ok with one that sort of trivializes the nature of witchcraft), your belief systems align with a judeochristian perspective, and you identify as a white cis hetero female, it is possible that you may enjoy this book more than I was able to, but unfortunately I walked away with the profound feeling that this book was just not meant for readers with a diversity of perspectives and experiences.

TW // lots of animals are murdered, a lot of binary-normative language (i.e. the phrase “men and women” is used a lit when the author means “people”, etc), strong anti-adoption*/blood-makes-a-family/a-“mother’s-love”-is-always-a-given sentiments, violence against women, domestic violence, slavery, torture, murder

*I know the relationship between Hannah and Maria was supposed to support the value of adoption, but the fact that Maria did not consider Hannah to be her “real” mother read a lot more like a disavowal of the validity of adoption to me.

I give this Five stars on Goodreads! Wow, what a saga to follow Maria’s story across seas and time and to make connections across her character and Faith’s. I enjoyed imagining Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Salem as they were depicted in the story. There is So much attention to detail woven throughout the book.

Loved it Alice Hoffman! This book, the prequel to Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, beautifully takes us to the source of the curse in the Owens family. This is the story of Maria Owens who was abandoned in a snowy field in rural England in the 1600s. She was taken in and raised by Hannah Owens, who taught Maria everything she could about herbs and healing and incantations. One important lesson Hannah taught was to always love someone who will love you back.

The story starts in Essex, England and moves to Curaçao then to Salem, Massachusetts, and to New York City - Hannah traveled a great deal. Her life was filled with hardship and much of her story is very dark and sad. She is very mistrustful of love and is betrayed at several different ages by various people. The 1600s was very dangerous for women, especially if they were truly witches. It was important to keep their gifts a secret.

The book is masterfully written and gave me the feel of being in that time and how difficult it was for women. The characters were fleshed out well so I felt I understood them and what motivated their actions. I've enjoyed all the books in this series and loved the prequel - it explained so much!

Thanks to Alice Hoffman and Simon & Schuster through Netgalley for an advance copy.

Once again we return to the Owens family from Hoffman's previous books Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. This time we learn about the woman who started the Owens line of witches. Maria Owens was left abandoned in the snowy woods and taken in by a kind woman who practiced witchcraft and taught young Maria the art. We follow Maria as she leaves England for Curacao, Salem, New York and back to Salem. We also get to see her daughter Faith, who winds up taking a different path than her mother. I like the Owens and will read anything written about them even though I think this outing was weaker than Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, although it may have more to do with the fact that parts of the novel take place during the Salem witch trials and I absolutely loathe Puritans (I blame Hawthorne for that). However Maria and Faith are wonderful examples of strong women who strain against and obliterate the constraints of their times and the cast of side characters are each intriguing in their own way. Hopefully we see more stories about the Owens family of witches.

Fascinating story about the origins of the Owen's family and their matriarch. Set in the 1600’s at the height of "witch hysteria" A compelling tale of Maria Owen's being accused of witchcraft and the beginnings of the curse that will haunt generations of her family. Alice Hoffman delivers in this intriguing novel that you will not want to put down. Brilliant storytelling, highly recommend. A perfect read for fall. Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to review.

4.25 Stars

When Hannah Owens finds an abandoned baby in the snow, she brings her home and cares for her as her own. Hannah is a healer and teaches the child, Maria, about the “Unnamed Arts,” though it’s clear early on that Maria is a blood witch with special abilities of her own. Hannah’s first important lesson to Maria: “always love someone who will love you back.” Maria is abandoned by the first man she thinks she loves, setting the course for a life filled with hardships, and a curse that will follow generations to come.

I have not read Practical Magic (watched the movie a million times) or Rules of Magic, but knew I needed to read this prequel to those books. Magic Lessons is in essence a book about love. Being blessed and cursed by it, fighting and ignoring it. How love can destroy a life or make one richer. The extremes people will go for it. What and who you choose in love determines the life you’ll get. Love was the central driving force in all of the choices made by the characters in this book.

I loved the deep history of witches that filled the pages. Hoffman clearly did a lot of research. There are magical recipes and spells, such as Courage Tea- which is used often, and magical elements such as familiars and scrying mirrors. The book details the Salem Witch Trials as well as the anti-semitism in the 1600’s- the latter something I never knew about. Even though Hoffman’s narrative is more telling than showing, it still paints a vivid picture of the settings (England, Curaçao, Massachusetts, and New York City) and the characters.

Some portions of the story felt repetitive as the message is driven home, but with well developed characters and an engaging plot, I found this to be an easy and compelling read. I now plan to read the other two books.


*Thank you to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

Having read ‘Practical Magic’ and ‘The Rules of the Magic’ I was so looking forward to reading ‘Magic Lessons’ which is a prequel to the others. It definitely did not disappoint. I have to admit it did not hook me in right away, but once it did I could not put it down. I felt as if I were right there watching Maria and John, and then Maria and Samuel. Loved Cadin and Keeper. The setting of the tale has intrigued me since I was a child, Salem in the 1600’s, and Hoffman captured the incredulous nature of the mind sets during this horrific time in history. Having visited Salem many times over the years and read several nonfiction books, I was impressed with the ease with which Hoffman incorporated the setting and horrors inherent of the times into her magical tale so flawlessly. So admired the strength of the women in the face of such adversity. Hopefully there will be many more tales following the Owens women. Many many thanks to Alice Hoffman, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for providing me with the opportunity to read this amazing arc soon to be published on October 6th. Hoffman’s many fans will not want to miss this magical tale and hopefully she will add many more new fans that will love her amazing books.

Another great installment in the Practical Magic series from Hoffman. We all already know that Hoffman is a great writer, and I'm enjoying the backward approach she is taking to her Owen's family story.

The setting for this installment is cozy, magical, and whimsical. Perfect for fall just around the corner. It's told more like a fairy tale rather than an intimate story and while sometimes it felt hard to relate to the characters, it did add some mysticism that felt right for the book. As in the other stories, there is great emphasis on female relationships and the consequences of magic.

One thing that I didn't really love compared to the other stories was that, Maria was fighting herself rather than magic like her ancestors. It was harder to get behind a heroine who made her own problems rather than actively fighting against curses that weren't their fault.

I enjoyed this book. Nice to learn more about the Owen's family. ARC provided by NetGalley in exchange for a fair review.

Thank you Net Galley for the opportunity to read this ARC. THIS BOOK, Magic Lessons, will go down as one of my favorites of all time. It is unforgettable. It is intricately woven. I have never been a lover of Magic stories, but this one changed my mind. Beautiful!! I loved every word.

4.5 Stars. This book - WOW. As always, Alice Hoffman just gets you right in the heart. The perfect amount of magic, love, family and the power of healing. I have read all the books in the Practical Magic series and the Owens' women, just hold a special place in my heart. It was truly an amazing experience to get to read about Maria, the matriarch of the family and how she came to be and love and grow her family. I loved how every character was formed and how you got to see through that, how the Owens family came to be. I loved every second. Thank you to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC.

This was my first Alice Hoffman book -- and it completely won me over. Set in England, Curacao, and Salem (MA), Absolutely engrossing historical fiction about the period at the very end of the Salem witch trials. I loved the settings and the main characters. The characters' differing attitudes toward magic interested me -- and I loved how genuine those attitudes all were. I'll be back to read much more Alice Hoffman.

I took my time wth this book, savoring each page, not rushing because I knew I would want it to go on as long as possible. It seems that everyone knows and loves Practical Magic, both the movie and the book. Next came The Rules of Magic, which takes place prior to the beloved story. It is a deeper loo at the personalities of the well known aunts, and shares some of the rules they had to learn.
Now we go back in time once again, all the way to the beginning, back to a time where being accused of witchcraft easily means death - and not an easy death! We learn about historical philosophy, the thoughts of the general populace, how love can be a blessing or, more often, a curse. Why the Owens descendants should avoid love, for more reasons than just emotional pain.
We learn how the significance of RED, hair and shoes or boots. We feel the pain of betrayal and abandonment and never being included. Being different or even unknown means not to be trusted and included.
For some, the book may seem to start slowly, a bit disparingly dark. Stay with it. You will take these women (and children) into your heart and find you can relate to their experiences.
Even if you don't, this is a wonderful story.

What is there to say, really? Alice Hoffman is such a master story-teller, I knew the book would be amazing. And it was. Hoffman takes us all the way back to the 1600’s where we meet Maria Owens, the matriarch of The Owen’s Family featured in The Rules of Magic and the Practical Magic Series.

Maria’s life isn’t easy, orphaned at a young age, and then left to take care of herself after she loses her foster mother, she basically has nothing. Only her magic. She pulls herself up by the bootstraps and goes on a journey from Curacao to NYC, to Salem, just in time for the witch trials.

It’s an amazing story of resilience, fortitude, and love. But not just the good part of love, the part that tears us apart and rips us down and jeopardizes everything we hope to become in life. No spoilers here. This is a book that you want to enjoy as you pull back each layer one by one.

Magic Lessons releases on October 6, 2020. A welcome distraction from our current situation as summer turns to fall. Special thanks to Simon and Schuster and Netgalley for an advanced e-galley in exchange for my honest review. My review will be posted to my blog, Women in Trouble Book Blog on September 23, 2020.

Introduces us to Owen's women dating back to 1600’s, their paths and obstacles in the way. Story of relationships, family ties that go beyond bloodlines, bonds formed in love or selfishness.

We meet the Owen's women whose courage was to pursue intellect, nurture their gifts, help others, and choose between use of talent without self-interest and horrors of evil. Well written story of bonds of love, mother/daughter, animals, and nature.
The story also gives us a glimpse of women who have been given no voice in their lives, destined to live a life of servitude and how the Owen woman broke these barriers while others did not.

A beautiful story of character's/.character and life's messages. Appreciated the richness of story-line. Valued the reverence to nature weaved into story.

Wonderful story, held my attention reading. I found many special life's messages throughout book. Magic Lessons does not disappoint. Alice Hoffman once again performs magic with her words.

Some of my favorites I have highlighted are:
"Achingly beautiful weather made the loss cut more deeply"
“Words have power. And they can't be taken back"
“Do as you will, but harm no one. What you give will be returned to you threefold.”

For a good read, gets my thumbs up.

Magic Lessons
How does a bastard, orphan, daughter of a witch and a criminal Englishman dropped in the middle of a forgotten spot in the Caribbean grow up to be a heroine and a mother? Chronicling the nearly but not quite tragic then triumphant origin story of the matriarch of the illustrious Owens clan, Magic Lessons (Simon & Schuster, $27.99, 9781982108847), is an overwhelming triumph. Alice Hoffman’s prequel to Practical Magic is lush, evocative and enchanting. Maria Owen was found abandoned on the banks of the river as an infant. By the age of 19 she’s witnessed ample evidence of love’s destructive power -- her birth mother who had to give her up and her adopted mother Hannah, accused of being an abomination by a man she thought loved her. Women beaten, betrayed, bought and sold by men who should have protected them. So when she meets a good man who only wants to love her, she doesn’t trust it.

The truly terrifying part is that Magic Lessons is steeped in history as well as horror. The real horror is the persecution of these women in the 17th century. The story is bracing. Hoffman is at the height of her powers. There are two stories of true love interwoven into this multigenerational tale-- the love of a woman and a man, the love between a mother and a daughter. A child is stolen and neglected. Animals are hurt in this story, but it is not gratuitously or casually told. Their lives feel as precious within the context of the story as those of almost anyone else in this cast, and it is completely convincing.

Feminist in the most organic and optimistic way. A woman with little power rises but she finds a way to not just save herself but make systemic change along the way. It is heartbreaking and heart healing.

This one started so very slowly... I almost gave up on it. About halfway through it picked up and was pretty good from there. I wasn't a huge fan of the movie Practical Magic and never read the book but I really enjoyed Maria's history as it was given here.

I know I am eternally biased to the genius that is Alice Hoffman, but I really did love this book. It took a little bit to warm up, but you begin to care so much about Maria's story. If you have ready Practical Magic & Rules of Magic, you know not everything is going to go great- but you still want to know all that happens. Heartbreaking in usual Hoffman fashion, this book delivers.

his is the story of Maria Owens and Faith, her daughter. It is the prequel to the Practical Magic books, which I loved so much! Finally, we know how the Owens women became so powerful and feared. What a story!

I first saw Practical Magic when it came out as a movie with Sanda Bullock and Nicole Kidman. I was mesmerized and enchanted. I bought the soundtrack. I sang along to my favorite white witch, Stevie Nicks, rock goddess, Gold Dust Woman. I loved everything about the movie. I owned the CD and watched it more than a few times. It was, well, magic. I did not know who Alice Hoffman was.

Years later, I have found goodreads....I am a NetGalley reader; and I begin seeing Rules of Magic coming out on my news feed. I request in and I get it instantly. I am giddy! I loved that book. I loved knowing about the sisters and their backstory. The aunts that danced around the kitchen making margaritas and singing "lime in the coconut". The book was dark but positive too. It was a feel good for me. I did go back and read Practical Magic, needing to know the whole story as Hoffman wrote it. In some ways, I enjoyed the movie more tho. Maybe it was just so familiar. And beautiful.

So..fast forward and now I get an invite to read this one...Magic Lessons. Heck yeah!!! I must know everything about this family. The beginnings. The makings of these strong women. I was soooooo excited. I read it right away. I want to say here tho, it was very dark. Much darker (for me) than the other two books. I was struggling at the beginning. But I was sooooo glad when Maria did not die when I thought she might. I kept on. I had to know what happened and how she survived against all odds. The ending I was hoping for came. No spoiler. It might not be the ending you want. It was right. There are a lot of troubling scenes. Deaths I wish had not occurred.

It is so well written I can't find any fault with the author. The story is heavy. A lot of sadness. But, I was so invested with the characters of Faith and Maria. I cared a great deal about what happened to them. I wanted to hurt those that hurt them.

This is one of my favorite and most memorable reads of 2020. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital copy to read for review. I highly recommend it!