It’s hit or miss for me with Alice Hoffman. And Practical Magic was a miss. I really couldn’t get into all the magic in a contemporary setting. So I was pretty nervous about reading Magic Lessons, but it was a buddy read and I was willing to give it a try.

I’m glad I did. It took me a while, but around a third of the way in, I realized that I was hooked... I think magic works better for me if it’s in the past. Regardless, I really liked both the story and the historical setting. The story starts in the mid-1600s in England and moves to the end of the century through Curaçao and then to the United States - including Salem - at a time when witches were persecuted. The story focuses on Maria Owens, who is born with special powers and an unusual independent streak. There’s some love, lots of heartbreak, adventure, courage, complicated parent-child relations, politics, a lovely crow and lots of magical spells. In the hands of a different writer, this would not have worked for me. But Hoffman does such a good job of creating great characters and a complex plot, that I ended up feeling enchanted by this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Edelweiss for giving me access to advance copies. And I’m so glad to have read this one with my reading buddies Diane and Angela — I don’t think I would have read it otherwise and it was lovely as always to read together.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Shuster Canada for an epub in exchange for an honest review.

A little late in reading this one, Magic Lessons is the prequel to the 1995 novel, Practical Magic and is the origin story of the Owen's family maternal bloodline and their link to the art of witchcraft. When Hannah Owens finds baby Maria in the woods in 1660's England, the once accused witch decides to raise the little girl up and teach her all the things that she knows. Maria's story will take her from England to Curacao as an indentured servant and finally to America where she and her infant daughter, Faith, will search for the man that left them behind. Unfortunately, these American colonies are suspicious of women that are different and soon whispers of their magic causes suspicion among their Puritan neighbours.

Although I have never read the aforementioned novel, I did watch the 1998 film with Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock and recall loving it. From the very first page, Alice Hoffman held me under her spell as she reminds her readers just how much we all need a little magic and love in our lives. I enjoyed the characters of Hannah and Maria the most but struggled with Faith's character. Oh and weren't Samuel and his father, Abraham just really fantastic characters? Next to the main family members, they were my favourites. I will have to make a note to seek out Practical Magic and add it to my TBR pile.





Goodreads published 01/11/20
Publication Date 06/10/20

This is the prequel to Practical Magic. Alice tells the story of Marie and how she grew up and why all the women of her line are cursed to never fall in love. If they do the person they love dies. It follows Marie from when she is abandoned in a snowy field and found by Hannah, the woman who raises her and teaches her about magic.
The story if full of romance, betrayal and what family really means and what one will do to protect the ones they love.
Thank you to Simon and Schuster Canada for this arc
#magiclessons #netgalley #indigoemoloyee

I feel like I've always known about the movie Practical Magic. It was released when I was 11 but it wasn't until I was much older that I learned it was based on a novel and it wasn't until three years ago that I finally read the book and watched the movie because I had read The Rules of Magic for Niagara Life magazine, which was the first Practical Magic prequel Alice Hoffman wrote. I loved it and enjoyed Practical Magic too. And the adaptation? Well, it was a good enough movie but as an adaptation it was lacking. My point? I was really, really, really excited when I heard there would be another prequel, this one going way back to the beginning of the Owens family. And Magic Lessons did not disappoint.

Here's the synopsis:
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.

I read this book in one night. Partly because I forgot the file was going to expire the next day. (So many books to review, so little time.) But I think I would have binge read it anyway because the story is that addictive. I was completely sucked into the origin story of the Owens women. I like learning the why and how behind families like this, especially since Hoffman had already given some insight in the last prequel.

I'm also especially a fan of historical fiction that's about witches. I think I've always liked that kind of fantasy - I recall reading a historical fiction series aimed at teens and my favourite was about the Salem Witch Trials - and I don't read nearly enough of them. (Recommendations are welcome!) I think part of why I love it, when it's done well of course, is because it reads as if witches have always been around and it's usually such a subtle type of magic. Intellectually, I know magic can't exist but authors like Hoffman can make you suspend that belief and you'll find yourself wondering, well, maybe there are still witches around. I felt the same way when I read Deborah Harkness' All Souls Trilogy (and, no surprise, my favourite of that series was Shadow of Night where they go back in time to the 1500s).

You don't have to read the other books in the Practical Magic series to enjoy this one. There are parallels drawn that will only make sense if you have but given I've read them out of order and it's been a few years since I have, you can dive into Magic Lessons this spooky season and still get an immense amount of enjoyment and satisfaction out of it.

The characters in this novel are all so flawed but so enjoyable to read. It's like every one of them has a lesson (and not necessarily magical) to teach the reader without it coming across as preachy at all. Maria thought following her heart was the most important thing but she didn't consider the feelings of people she'd allowed to get close to her, who were warning her against her mission because they could clearly see it was not the right path to take. Faith was so intent on revenge that she didn't allow herself to examine the situation from someone else's point of view.

I just have to say it: what the hell is up with this cover? I don't think I would be at all enticed to pick up this book based on the image. The colours work, I'll give it that, and the image does relate back to the story. But it's just...odd. Maybe it's because I'm not a fan of faces on books? I also don't know if it really matters. Alice Hoffman's name will sell the book.

Magic Lessons was an absolutely wonderful read. Alice Hoffman is such a good storyteller and this origin story of the Owens women is written exceptionally well. I was sucked right into the story and was so sad when it was over. I definitely recommend reading this one - especially during the Fall season.

*An egalley of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, via NetGalley in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*

If you loved Practical Magic you definitely need to check out this prequel it was all I hoped for and more. In this novel we are transported back to the 1600's to the beginning of the Owen's family love curse with the story of Maria and her daughter Faith. Hoffman did an amazing job of blending history with Magic and witchcraft. A very unique and orginal novel about love and survival.

Magic Lessons unveils the centuries-old curse that has followed the Owens family in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. I started to read Practical Magic but didn't get a chance to finish it before it disappeared from Overdrive. It is on it's way to my mailbox now. What I did read, I thought it was more whimsical and magical then Magic Lessons. I read The Rules of Magic in our Traveling Sister Goodreads group, and all of us loved it. It created an exciting discussion, and I am sure Magic Lessons would as well and be an excellent choice for a group discussion.

The Owen family's story starts with Maria Owens, and in Magic Lessons, we learn her story. It is a story of powerful and strong women at a time when women were powerless and were treated as less or evil, dangerous and needed to be grounded by men. The Owens women here are not grounded by the cruelty of men. At first, we see their vulnerabilities as they follow their hearts and through the lessons they learn and their drive to reach their goals and overcome their conflicts, we see them developed and grow into the women they become. Alice Hoffman creates some magic here with the lesson she provides us here in this unforgettable insightful story.

"Maria understood that a woman with her own beliefs who refuses to bow to those she believes to be wrong can be considered dangerous."

I loved the magic and witchcraft here that Alice Hoffman blended so well with the history of the story. I loved the lessons learned here about love, life and kindness. I loved the love that flowed as easily as the words did in the story. It was entertaining, exciting, insight and thought-provoking while portraying women well. I highly recommend for better reading.

"Know that love is the only answer." "Always love someone who will love you back."

This was my first book by Alice Hoffman and I automatically got Practical manic straight after. The writing is beautifully haunting and it was so exciting to see the story we all know and love unfold from the beggining. Maria is one of the strongest female protagonist’s I have read in a long time and I adored her story of love, loss family values and magic

I just love Alice Hoffman’s writing style. I would have rated this one five stars, but I felt slightly less invested in the characters than I’ve been with the other books in the Practical Magic series. Maybe because it’s a prequel and I had some notion of how it would end.

Oh how I loved this book. I love anything Alice Hoffman writes. She is an author that I just buy the minute I hear her latest book is coming out. Don't even need to know what the book is about, I know I'll love it.📚❤

Magic Lessons is one that I was anticipating, I loved Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. All about the Owen's women and their story. Magic Lessons, goes way back to the beginnings of the Owen's women, with Hannah Owens and her life and that of her daughter Maria. It goes back to the times of Salem and when women were being killed for being witches. It weaves a story between mother and daughter and all the history between them. There's lots of "potions" in the book, which I love and find so intriguing. It was a story that I could not put down and wanted to know more.

I was lucky enough to get an ARC from @netgalley but I also couldn't resist getting a physical copy too, I love the cover.

Definetly read this one, for the relationship between mother and daughter, its just magic.

Magic Lessons
By: Alice Hoffman
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman takes the reader back to the very beginning of the Owens family history, and shows how this history will come to affect the family all the way to the present day. This is the story of Maria Owens who was abandoned by her birth mother as an infant. She was found and raised by Hannah Owens during the late 1600’s. It is from Hannah that Maria inherits the Grimoire, a magical book of spells and enchantments; the same book that is passed down for generations in the Owens’ family. This is a story of magic, love, and betrayal set in the general time period of the Salem witch trials.

This is a must read for anyone who has fallen in love with the Owens family through either the books or the movie version of Practical Magic. It is also a good novel to begin your journey with the Owens family if this tale is new for you. I have loved this story and these characters for years, and was very glad to be able to read this enchanting tale that is the history of some of my favorite characters. I believe you will enjoy it too.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an honest review.

I just love Practical Magic and was really excited to see another prequel to the book by Alice Hoffman. Dating back to the 17th century to the beginning of the Owen family. I read this on my phone as an ebook and I will say it was harder for me to get into it at no fault of the authors. I just don't like reading on my phone. I will be going out and getting a paperback copy soon! This is a book I need on my bookshelf.

Alice Hoffman has done an amazing job bringing us back to the beginning of the Owen family with Maria. Witchcraft, curses, Salem trials, love and history. This is an extraordinary novel by an amazing author. A definite must read for any fan of Practical Magic or Alice Hoffman!

I give this book a 5 stars!

I wasn't able to access the book before it was archived, so am unable to review it ...................................................................................................................................................................................................

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman takes us back to the beginning of the Owen’s women’s family line from the beloved Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic novels. This story traces the origin of the Owen’s women’s curse to the OG matriarch, Maria Owens, hailing back to the witch trials of the 1600s.⁣
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So cliché, but ya’ll, this book put a spell on me. I was captivated from the very first pages, reading into the wee hours of the morning to see how it would end. I completely fell in love with Maria - I wanted to be friends with her; I wanted her to take me under her wing and teach me everything she knows. Hoffman's storytelling is a work of art. I had difficulty assigning a genre to this novel because she so skillfully portrays this story that the fantastical elements don’t seem so fantastical at all, but rather feel so incredibly real and authentic that you perceive them to be a part of our true history.⁣
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Reading books about witch hunt times always leave me with a pit of fear in my stomach – a feeling only a woman could experience reading a book like this, knowing that the remnants of these times are not yet gone from the collective consciousness – slut shaming, fear/discomfort of powerful and successful women who don’t want or need a man, disdain for women with a voice who challenge the quo. It’s truly a visceral experience consuming stories like these, knowing all to well the reality of some men to lash out when faced with their own inadequacies and ignorance. Like superstition, even though we’re supposed to know better in 2020, our culture just can’t seem to shake off the last vestiges of misogyny.⁣
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I would recommend this book to any and all who enjoy beautiful storytelling, books with themes that parallel current day events, and novels defy genre classification.

Thank you to @simonschusterca @ahoffmanwriter and @netgalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review ✨

There are so many women that make an impact just by being themselves - and that simple acti of bravery is an inspiration.

The story goes into the magic that we know, we learn, and we teach, woman to woman, mother to child. It is not simple, and it is not always accepted by the world, but it is there, and it is powerful.

What i knew of this before reading Magic Lessons came from the Sandra Bullock/ Nicole Kidman movie 'Practical Magic' - so not a lot.
Seeing how this story weaves into that narrative and makes the tapestry so much richer makes me want to learn more.

Seeing how love (or lack thereof) can impact a child makes me want to hold my own tighter. And the beautiful knowledge that is passed without direct instruction - about what kindness, justice, and karma are... Love matters. These lessons cannot be unlearned.

I have long been a fan of Alice Hoffman and her Owens family series. I was very excited to have the opportunity to read the latest (or earliest, depending how you look at it) story of the Owens. This story was a slow burn. It started a little slow but drew you in in true Alice Hoffman fashion. I loved the main characters! The final paragraph in the book was perfection! I loved the life lessons!!

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada for the opportunity to read and review this book!

I love when authors revisit their beloved ideas and add to the backstory. I've never been disappointed by Alice Hoffman, and this continues that trend.

I was instantly hooked from the very first page. It's like she bewitched the pages and I couldn't help but read until my eyes were burning!

We start right back at the beginning of the Owen's family line. Maria, what a captivating woman. I could not get enough of her. She truly shines and I could feel the loss emanating from the words and into my soul. I felt like my heart was screaming and had no release. The way the characters blend and the manner their lives were intertwined... Sheer brilliance. To see how Maria and Faith turned from children to women and the strife they endured, especially during the most dangerous time in our history, not just for witches but for women as a whole.

It was the such a genius roller coaster of true good magic, dark magic, passion, life, surrender and despair. I would have been shaken less placed in a martini shaker. I loved the little notes about what plants do what too. It made me wish I had a garden so full of magical wonder!

I thoroughly enjoyed how well researched the book was and the tempo the book was written at. The highs and the lows. It was all done with such delicacy and charm that you wonder how anyone can write a book any better.

If you love books with strong yet humble lead characters and men who bring you trees from the furthest reaches of the world, then this is the book for you. It truly was the best of the three for me.

Your heart will break a dozen different ways but the love that shines from the pages will have you put back together a better person.

5 stars from me. I cannot wait to see what comes next

This is basically a super-prequel to the wonderful Practical Magic that follows the OG Owens women in their magic. There is a beautiful continuity to the stories that makes it all feel just that much more real, and Alice Hoffman clearly loves the Owens universe.

Apart from some tiny anachronisms (forgivably small) it’s a really easy book to read, but it’s written rather detatchedly. Almost like the book is written in the future tense but not.

Regardless, if you liked Practical Magic or The Rules of Magic, this is an excellent logical next step and totally worth the read.

I received a copy of this book for free from NetGalley and Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for an honest, voluntary review.

Thank you to net galley, the publishing house and the author for the opportunity to read a complimentary advance reader copy of this book in return for review based upon my honest opinion.

I loved this book. As a fan of Practical Magic, I have always wondered about Maria’s story; receiving the opportunity to read this book was fantastic. I have also read Rules of Magic and loved it as well. What a wonderful series of books. This book had it all; witches, magic, family, tragedy and most of all, love. The characters were wonderfully written and the story was just so good. I laughed, I cried and I almost wish it was longer so I could keep reading it.

Maria Owens is brought to Devotion Field, wrapped up tight in a blanket of protective blue thread, and left there to be found.

And found she is. By Hannah, witch.

Hannah raises Maria and cares for her completely. She teaches her courage, to stay true to yourself as often as you can. How to heal, and how to help others. Maria grows from just a baby into a woman, her life mapped between these pages. The Owens who voices a curse upon the women in her family. Now we see when, now we see why, and now we see who she will become.

What I enjoyed:

• I love Alice Hoffman's writing so much, it is full of magic and love. Cracking into an Owens family novel (Practical Magic, Rules of Magic, Magic Lessons,) feels like gathering up a big ol' mug of a warm drink and settling in for the evening

• Maria, who is a wonderful character. I love this origin story. Maria is firm and strong in who she is, but struggles with opening her heart and allowing herself to feel love for anyone other than those who are familial to her. She experiences terrible traumas that make her feel angry towards those who abuse power. The way that she learns to find balance between love and anger and justice is a special story

• The final chapter is beautiful and I loved it so much. This is about Maria from near-birth, following throughout her life. It is very much character focused, the details of what happens to her along the way and where she goes shaping who she becomes and her relationships with those around her

Overall:

I could read a hundred books about the Owens women! If Alice Hoffman is to ever continue this world again, I would think it would be lovely to now read about Sally's daughters from Practical Magic and go forward. But if it remains a trilogy, I will love that, too.