Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman is a prequel to her beloved novel Practical Magic, delving into the origins of the Owens family's magical lineage. Set in the 17th century, the story follows Maria Owens, a young woman accused of witchcraft in Salem, Massachusetts.

Hoffman's writing, as always, is enchanting, weaving a tale of love, loss, and the power of inherited magic. She skillfully blends historical fiction with elements of fantasy, creating a captivating world where the line between the real and the supernatural blurs.

The characters are rich and complex, each grappling with their own demons and discovering their place in the world of magic. Maria, the central figure, is a strong and resilient woman, her journey of self-discovery resonating deeply with readers.

Magic Lessons is a must-read for fans of Practical Magic and Alice Hoffman's other works. It's a captivating story that explores the enduring themes of family, love, and the power of magic.

Alice Hoffman is one of my all a time favorites. Her beautiful writing style, magical storytelling and characters draw me in every time and Magic Lessons is no exception. The prequel to Practical Magic takes readers on historical ride telling the origins story of the Owens women. A captivating story of love and magic.

I love Alice Hoffman. I read everything she writes. The enchanting and lyrical prose that I so appreciate about Hoffman's work is present, at times, in Magic Lessons.

As much as I appreciated Practical Magic, I am looking forward to reading stand-alone works by Hoffman; her allegiance to this series has grown stale for me. While I appreciated several things about this work (atmospheric setting descriptions, well-drawn characters, Hoffman's willingness to write about women holistically and including flaws), the repetitive phrases and details and lackluster relationship montages might have benefited from further editing.

I will keep reading whatever Hoffman writes. But if I want to read about the Owens women again, I will return to Practical Magic.

I feel like giving a 3 is a little over what I would rate. Maybe a 2.5, middle ground.
I wanted to like this book, I love Practical Magic and Rules of Magic.
However the problems I had with this book is that I was never captivated. I didn't feel the story picked up until 75% done.
There were too many details and explanations that were unnecessary to the story. And many of the rules and spells were repeated many times, as if to point them out so you remembered them from the other books.
I enjoyed bringing Salem into play and the set up for the lineage seen in Practical Magic, but the rest was too slow.

I have enjoyed a few novels by this author before and I was looking forward to this one. Unfortunately I made it about 20% in and was not interested so I did not finish it.

Maria Owens is where the start of the Owne's bloodline begins. As an abandonded baby in the early 1600s, she comes under the care of Hannah Owens. Under Hannah's care and tutilege, 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 Maria learns her famous 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.

It was so fun to read Maria's story and learn where the aunts and Sally and Jilly got their spirit, their determination, and most of all, their abilities - from magic to love. Maria's story is a beautiful, haunting one that is full of history and strength.

Well, it's fair to say that I will happily read anything Alice Hoffman writes. In fact, many years ago, I heard a talk by Anna Quindlen, who, when asked about her own reading life, mentioned Hoffman and others, saying, "You can't go wrong with an Alice." I took that advice seriously, and Hoffman especially bears that out. So of course, when NetGalley offered <I>Magic Lessons</I>, I jumped. Sadly, my reviews have not kept up to my actual reading, but hopefully anyone who looks at my account will have seen the 4 stars and known that I loved this book. Hoffman deftly weaves a prehistory for her most celebrated, beloved books, <I>Practical Magic,</I> and we are all lucky to be along for the ride. As promised, this is a celebration of life and love...and witchcraft. It doesn't get much better than that.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for a review.

I enjoyed learning about the backstory of the Owens family. Alice Hoffman crafts a magical story, but I felt the pacing was bogged down by reciting all the "spells" for the grimoire. I really enjoyed the last 30% of the book and was satisfied with the ending.

I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author, publisher and NetGalley.com. Thanks to all for the opportunity to read and review. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Magic Lessons is a perfect prequel to Practical Magic. Ms. Hoffman's writing is lyrical and beautiful. A must read!

5 out of 5 stars.

This is a nice addition to the P ractical Magic series, you get to see the early life of Maria and learn about how she became a figure for the Owens family. I liked going back in time in the story and seeing these time periods and how the character interacted. This is a stunning examination of the power of love and family regardless of ability or setting.

As much as I wanted to love this story, I couldn’t get used to the writing style. It’s far too descriptive and lengthy for my preferences, leaving less space for character development/connection and/or dialogue. So disappointed I didn’t enjoy this more!

Another spectacular book in the Practical Magic series by Alice Hoffman lives up to its title. The story is magical in every way. While reading, a spell is put upon the readers and they will the book to never end.. The characters and story will never be forgotten.

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman was a moving, beautifully written and well researched novel. Magic Lessons was the first book I read in this series but will go back and read Practical Magic and Rules of Magic sometime in the near future. The beginning of the book started off a little slow for me but it wasn’t long before I was completely mesmerized by the story.

Magic Lessons told the story of Hannah, Maria and Faith Owens. Their story began in Essex, England in the mid 1600’s. Each woman had been born with the talents of being a healer. They each had the extraordinary visions of being able to see things others could not. Maria had been abandoned as a baby and left in a forest where Hannah found her. Hannah brought Maria up as if she was her own daughter. She recognized that Maria processed special talents of her own. After Maria witnessed Hannah’s death, her journey took her to Island to Curaçao where she thought she had found love. Maria followed that love to Salem, Massachusetts. Maria would witness a world that shunned intelligent and brave women. Her world was about to change drastically. As more and more women were suspected of being witches and the Salem Witch Trials began, Maria’s life would be turned upside down.

Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman was magical, so descriptive and vividly enchanting. It was part love story, part historical fiction and part a look into the shocking truths that existed in the 1600’s for women and religious persecution and freedom of religion. Magic Lessons gave a magnified look into the women who were known as healers. It focused on the non conventional methods of healing they used and the medicines they made from herbs and other natural elements to treat those that came for help. It showed the true nature of the Salem witch trials and how so many women were wrongly convicted and killed. It also explored many of the superstitions the people living during that time possessed about these women who they believed to be witches. Alice Hoffman’s Magic Lessons was a book that I would recommend very highly.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read Magic Lessons through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

A haunting love story for a family cursed with love. Maria Owens, a young mother, goes in search of her child's father. Instead of welcoming arms, she finds a Puritan witch hunter. As Maria goes about life on her own path, she must deal with the darkness around her and in her.

Gorgeous book, full of details. Some say it's a long read, others say its a lush read. The reader is definitely transported to another time. Full of spells, darkness and kindness. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

I love this world that Alice Hoffman has created. I felt out of all the books, this one was my favorite. A beautiful, magical book mixed with historical fiction & fantasy. I loved learning about the Owens family history.

Can't say enough about Alice Hoffman and her books, especially the marvelous stories of the Owens family. The very best series of all - hope there will be more!

I have always been a huge fan of Alice Hoffman, and I will read almost anything she writes. Magic Lessons was another great story by her. I loved that we were able to see how it all started for the Owens family and to see how far they came from their original struggles. To see how the magic all began was truly perfect!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the advanced copy of this book.

Unfortunately, I didn't finish this one. I enjoyed the first, Practical Magic, but I didn't enjoy this one at all.
Thank you to the publisher for the chance to read and review.

An absolutely must read for any fans of the Owens family. As each book within the series has provided readers with a different generational tale hat enriches the overarching story, we now get the origin story of the “ Owens Curse.”

Magic Lessons is the origin story of the Owens women. Set in the 1600s, it begins with Hannah Owens who finds an abandoned newborn baby. She raises the baby, Maria, and teaches her the Art with No Name. We learn why and how Maria leaves Essex County in England for Essex County in Massachusetts. Her life takes some detours. We see her cast the curse that follows the Owens women into the twentieth century.

Maria has a daughter named Faith. The story gently morphs into Faith’s coming-of-age tale as she learns to deal with the storm that is brewing within. “The dark was rising in her soul and she was glad of it. She was at the age when innocence seems like a flaw.”

Hoffman incorporates the historical figure of John Hathorne, one of the judges of the Salem witch trials who, unlike other men that had sat in judgment of the accused, never expressed regret for his role in the murder of innocent women.

Hathorne was the great, great grandfather of the writer Nathaniel Hawthorne who added the “w” to his family name, probably as a way to disassociate himself from his murderous ancestor. [See also Arthur Miller’s The Crucible.] John Hathorne is no whipping boy in this tale but is an integral part of the seemingly simple but emotionally complex tale that Hoffman weaves.

Also fascinating for this history buff and maritime enthusiast is the Jewish pirates in the story. Due to raging antisemitism, Jews, Hoffman writes, “had often lived at sea, especially when there was no country that would allow them entrance.” Jewish navigators and mathematicians were also part of the sailing exploration tradition.

I don’t know if the characters of Dias and his father are based on specific historic persons, but they do represent the Jewish people who were murdered during the Spanish Inquisition and driven out of Spain and Portugal. Like Maria, Dias witnessed a loved one being murdered due to irrational hate.

All of this historic hate and murder is somehow balanced and even overshadowed by the tremendous love and wisdom that infuses the characters and the story they find themselves in. Hoffman is a beautiful writer. I have now twice been left feeling better about humanity after finishing one of her novels. Hate and murder are still with us, but Hoffman reminds the reader that love can overcome. We often just don’t understand what love is or how it works.

Maybe a good start is following Hoffman’s rules of magic:

--Do as you will, but harm no one.
--What you give will be returned threefold.
--Fall in love whenever you can.

Regarding that last rule, I think it would be wise to ask yourself this question which a character asks in Magic Lessons: “Is it the man you want, or the feeling inside you when someone cares?” How different the world would be if we each replaced the word “man” with whatever we were craving (food, money, power, etc.). I do believe it is love that makes the world go ’round.

Magic Lessons is an infusion of hope in a world gone mad with hate.

[This review was part of a longer blog post: https://chriswolak.com/2022/01/18/magic-lessons-by-alice-hoffman/]