Having previously read The Rules of Magic and Practical Magic, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read and review Alice Hoffman’s newest book, Magic lessons.

In Magic Lessons, we learn the origin of the Owens family. Abandoned as a baby in a snowy field in Essex County, England, Maria is raised by Hannah Owens and is taught the Unnamed Arts and is cautioned to do no harm and only love those who will love you back.

A portrait of Salem, MA in the 1600’s during the historical witch trials, it is a story of betrayal and finding true love. Maria’s love for her daughter, Faith, takes her to Manhattan in search of her where she is being hidden. In New York Maria is able to practice the Unnamed Art with more license and continues to help countless women. Faith's time in captivity, however, entices her to the dark side of the art as she seeks revenge on her father. Love ultimately conquers all in the end and it is a very satisfying read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing this ARC in return for an honest review. This is a prequel to the author’s 1995 best seller Practical Magic, which became a 1998 film of the same name. Magic Lessons tells the story of Maria, who was rescued in a field in the 1600s as an infant and reared by Hannah Owens.. Maria watched as Hannah was killed by villagers and her house burned because they feared her special gifts of magic and healing. After escaping with her familiar (a crow) to the Caribbean, Maria further developed her own witchcraft and herbal healing abilities, especially in the area of love. She worked as a housemaid in a large home and met a wealthy man visiting from North America. Soon after he left she found herself pregnant and followed him to Essex, Massachusetts. The story continues with further adventures of Maria and her daughter Faith.

Loved this book. Explains so much more about this family's story. Alice Hoffman is a beautiful writer. I will read anything she puts out. This book is a must read for anyone who has read Practical Magic.

This is an origins prequel to Practical Magic, and while the character development is unforgettable, the going was slow, with a lot of magical grimoire recipes and dark imagery. I want to give it 5 stars, because it makes me want to go back and read Practical Magic again, as well as her other early work, but in truth 4.5 stars because of "filler" . I think there are few authors that can match Hoffman, not just for magical realism, but for character, and story development that draw you into the dream. To be fair, it is hard to set a witch story in Salem in the 1600's without seeming trite, and Hoffman manages to do that, by making the whole history part of the action, but not central to the story. Read it knowing you will want to go back to her other books, and eagerly await another.

Sorry to say in the distinct minority. 3.5, not rounding up. I like Alice Hoffman, but this never really grabbed me and I was very disappointed. That said, quite readable. And I enjoyed the locales in the 1680--Curacao, Salem, New York.

The setting: the prequel to Practical Magic. Maria Owens, abandoned in the English countryside by her birth mother, is raised by Hannah Owens. Hannah dies and Maria leaves for Curacao where she meets and falls in love with John Hathorne [who abandons her], with whom she has an out of wedlock child. Maria leaves for America with her daughter, Faith, seeking Hathorne and en route, nurses Samuel Dias back to health. She takes with her Hannah's Grimoire, a magic book of enchanments.

The thread of the book is love as Hannah has said: "Always love someone who will love you back."

Maria realizes shortly after her birth that Faith has magical talents, and is also marked as such with a physical sign on her skin. And so it begins.

A story of magic, family, love, injustice, superstition, mysticism, and betrayal, Female bonding. Familiars [I really liked stories/loya[ty of Cadin, Maria's crow/familiar, and Keeper, Faith's wolf familiar.] Little things I liked: the magical elements of various teas and potions--of natural substances [herbs]--cures for physical and emotional ailments--and their names: Courage Tea, True to Me Tea, Frustration Tea, Fever Tea, and so on.

I found the story of the Salem witches/trials/setting, interesting and enjoyed those story developments. But the book always felt flat to me and I was never as engaged as I thought I would/should be.

And as despicable as John Hathorne was, there were a few good men--Abraham and Samuel Dias, Jack Finney, and Dr. Joost van der Berg.

Another detraction [no spoiler from me, though] too neat an ending,

Something I learned: Salem [Massachusetts] was named after the Hebrew word for peace, shalom!

So, if you're a fan, read it. It's easy and you may find it much more compelling than I did.

Love Alice Hoffman!! Like most fans, I began enjoying her work with Practical Magic & was so excited to read Magic Lesson. Alice Hoffman did not disappoint!! Enjoyed learning more about the martiarch "Maria Owens"
Highly recommend to anyone who enjoyed Practical Magic!!

This is the story I had been waiting for! It gives a fabulous backstory to the books that follow but also reads as a complete tale on its own. I LOVED it.

I am a big fan of Alice Hoffman. I am always intrigued by the subject matter that she presents. With this book, I was hooked from the very beginning. I love her writing style. In this book, she tackles the subject of witches in early America from the point of view of the women who are being accused. It was fascinating. So much to think about!

Alice Hoffman continues to capture her readers with another brilliant book! If you loved Practical Magic and Rule of Magic, you will be blown away by this pre-prequel! Here is a story that weaves the history of witch trials and murders with the beginning of the Owens family tree. Hannah, whose character is not long in the story, maintains a presence throughout the story with the baby she rescued from a field on a cold snowy day. To know the history of the Owens family, you have to know the history of Hannah. The baby, Maria, learns that there are two kinds of people in this world-- those who take what they want and those that give what they know. Even after meeting her true parents, Maria chooses to emulate the goodness and knowledge of Hannah. The story follows Maria through her journeys both as a practicer of the "Unnamed Arts" and as a young woman making her way in the world. The combination of these two leads to a curse that follows the Owens women through history. I received an advanced reader copy of this title through NetGalley.

Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite writers, so I was delighted to receive a copy of Magic Lessons. I've read both Practical Magic and. The Rules of Magic, so I was excited to hear more about the foundations of the Owens family.

This book did not disappoint. It mixes witchcraft with American history. I highly recommend this one, as well as the other books in the trilogy.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

As a long-time Hoffman fan, I was thrilled to receive an ARC of <i>Magic Lessons</i>, which is the original story of the Owens family bloodline, made famous in both <i>Practical Magic</i> and <i>The Rules is Magic</i>. And again, Hoffman DELIVERS. I was swept up into the novel immediately with the prologue, where Hoffman makes you feel all your feelings and makes the reader remember why she is the bewitching Queen.

Beginning with the birth of Maria Owens, a newborn who was found abandoned in a English field by Hannah Owens, our story opens up in the 1600’s. Hannah raises Maria as her own, knowing the girl is touched with the sight and teaching her the “Unnamed Arts”. Hannah teaches Maria a valuable lesson, that she carries with her in her heart and on her journey throughout this novel: Always love someone who will love you back.

We follow Maria’s journey, through England, motherhood, Boston, Salem, New York and beyond. We learn the history of the original Owens matriarch and the true curse on the men that come to love the Owens women and why it came to be. We also learn why and how, in the end Maria changes her course and mind.

“Do as you will but harm no one.
What you give will be be returned to you threefold.
Fall in love whenever you can”

I couldn’t love this book any more. The start was slow, but this was the perfect beginning, the perfect story, giving all of the answers and questions to fans of the Owens women. It was heartbreaking and gut-punching at times, but written in Hoffman’s particular prose, it was also light and wonderful and just as you’ve come to expect. <i>Magic Lessons</i> is the ideal novel to begin your journey all over again or for the first time, if you haven’t read the series.

I received a free e-ARC of this book from Netgalley.

I've been a fan of Alice Hoffman for a long time. She writes with such beautiful descriptive prose that I am transported into her books. Her characters in Magic Lessons are strong, beautiful women who despite their powers, are still very human. The characters are beautifully-developed.
I enjoyed this book greatly as a stand-alone without even connecting it to Practical Magic.

I just finished this book, and I absolutely loved it. The book is actually a prequel to Practical Magic, which I have not read, but it’s definitely on my reading list now.

This book incorporates some of the history of the Salem witch trials that occurred in Massachusetts in the late 1600s.

Hannah Owens, who is a witch, finds an abandoned baby in a Juniper field. She quickly realizes that the baby is also a witch, so she takes her home to raise, naming her Maria. Hannah lives her life using her witchy powers to help others, and teaches her daughter to do the same. She tells Maria to, “Do as you will, but harm no one. What you give will be returned to you threefold.” This statement turns out to be true several times in the future.

The majority of the book is about Maria. She falls in love, and when she is spurned, she searches for her lover eventually finding him in Salem, Massachusetts. This is where her behavior eventually lands her in trouble with the local authorities. The Puritan society she lives in has very strict rules for women, and being a witch arouses fear and suspicion. The consequences of this decision set up the story for the rest of the book.

All of the characters were very well fleshed out, including the familiars who chose to be with the witches. I loved Cadin and Keeper. Everyone should have a best friend like them.

I can’t wait to read Practical Magic, so I can find out what happens to the generations that follow. Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this book.

This prequel book to Practical Magic was wonderful! A lingering love story with a mix of witchcraft and American History, it was lovely!

I was so excited to read this book and was not disappointed. Alice Hoffman has finally provided the book we lovers of Practical Magic have been waiting for:. The origins of the Owens women. This is a beautiful book full of courage, love, and strength. It's about the joy and honor of being your true self in simple times and when faced with adversity. I highly recommend Magic Lessons!

Alice Hoffman writes a wonderful tale of love and betrayal in Magic Lessons. Her descriptions of life in the early days of the American Colonies are so well crafted it was easy to become immersed in the story of women who were respected and feared because of their unique abilities. Some might call them witches, others knew they could save a sick child that the doctor had failed to cure. This book is storytelling at its best.

I received an Advanced Reader's Copy from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley. The opinions expressed are entirely my own
#Magic Lessons #NetGalley

4.5 stars

This book is a prequel to two other books in the Practical Magic series. I have not read those books, but was able to fully enjoy this story. In this book we are introduced to Mara Owens, as well as her mother and daughter, and we learn more about their family history. The introduction to healing and witchcraft was enticing and fascinating. Reading about the environment in Salem and Essex County was enlightening. I enjoyed the descriptions of the characters and settings and easily connected to the story.

I received a free ARC of Magic Lessons from NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Alice Hoffman's latest novel is a wondrous read. This books serves as a prequel to Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic but knowing the future for Owens' women does not impede the enjoyment of reading this origin story. Here Maria Owens is fooled by what she thought was love with a man who preached honor but lived deceit. She endured the fear of Essex County, England and with her daughter, Faith, the terrors of Salem, Massachusetts where accusation equaled fact and where ignorance decided punishment. Their story is full of witchcraft and healing and, at times, revenge, but there is a loving, gentle core that keeps Maria moving forward even when she tries to deny it. Here, the foundation curse about love is first uttered, a curse that will reverberate through generations.

I loved this book but I have loved all the Hoffman novels I have read!

"Magic Lessons" by Alice Hoffman is a prequel to Hoffman's books "Practical Magic" and "The Rules of Magic." I have also read those books and thought "Magic Lessons" was a wonderful way to tell the background story of the Owens women. I really enjoyed this book and felt very invested in Maria's story. I understand the bond between mother & daughter and thought this book explored those relationship well.

When practicing magic, first of all harm no one. Remember that what you give, be it good or evil, will be returned to you threefold. That is the first of the magic lessons every witch should learn. This book will teach you other lessons, but what it will give you is hours of total involvement..

Since time immemorial, (until very recently) women have been subjugated by men, often abused and mistreated, and kept from learning. This particular historical time of the 1600's will show just how women were treated because they were healers familiar with uses of plants and could both prevent pregnancy and deliver babies. Women with these skills were often accused of witchcraft and the punishments resulting from these suspicions were horrific.

I have been a rabid Alice Hoffman reader since I discovered Turtle Moon many years ago. I have also read all her books, but loved her magical realism most of all. And Alice Hoffman may well be a witch because her writing enchants. Every word, every line, every description is so graphically beautiful that it's necessary to stop and breathe in the scents and see the surroundings, the weather, the flowers that are all part of her enchantment of you.

This book is the prequel or foundation story of the Owens sisters who have lived in the mansion in Salem, Mass. for generations. It explains the backstory of the rules they live by. It is not necessary or desirable to describe the story here. It is just something you have to experience for yourself.

I understand that HBO or Netflix is interested in producing a series based on Hoffman's books. Like her film, Practical Magic, it's fun to watch but does not begin to capture the beauty of Alice Hoffman's language and unique style.

Many thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC of Magic Lessons in exchange for an honest review. I loved this book!