"Know what you want, and be sure if it, for regret gives birth to more regret and nothing more."

Practical Magic is one of my favorite movies to watch this time of year so I was really excited to read Magic Lessons which explains the origins of legendary witch Maria Owens and the curse she casts in the 1600s that has repercussions for centuries to come.

I don't even know where to start with how much I loved this book. Maria's story is so beautiful and Hoffman includes so many interesting historical details, from the plagues that killed so many due to doctors not washing their hands to the treatment of women during Puritan times. Magic Lessons is filled with adventure and romance and heartbreak and hope and the writing is as magical as the spells Maria and her family employ. Even if you've never read Practical Magic (or seen the movie) or its first prequel, Rules of Magic, give this book a read. It will definitely get you into the Halloween mood!

4.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author for an advanced copy to review.

Alice Hoffman writes a surprising prequel to one of her most popular works, and it is as lyrical and powerful as any of her other works.

I have been a long-time fan of Alice Hoffman, but Magic Lessons may be her best book yet. Alice reaches back in time to the late 1600's to tell the story of Maria Owens. Alice Hoffman clearly illuminates the lines that connect mothers, daughters, granddaughters and the power of women who although not connected to us by blood are connected by heart and soul. In the book Practical Magic, Alice Hoffman teases readers with a brief story of Maria Owens and the curse that she calls down on future Owens women. Magic Lessons explains the curse and Maria's story.

It has been some time since I have read a 5-star book, but this one absolutely earned all 5 stars! Don't miss this one!

Maria Owens is a talented and good witch living in the 1600s. Abandoned by her mother, adopted by Hannah who taught her everything about witchery. She has a Grimoire where she writes down all the remedies Hannah teaches her. This book takes us on Maria's life journey: her struggles as a witch in Salem, her complicated love life, motherhood,

I am ambivalent: I fully enjoyed the story as a whole but I could not connect with the characters. The character development was (maybe intentionally?) crafted in a manner that it prevents the reader to feel intimate with the protagonist. I could not understand Maria, I disliked her daughter Faith, BUT I loved the historic background and the landscape description of places like Manhattan: what places like Wall Street and Brooklyn looked in 1690, what they smelled like, it was all fascinating! For this reason, I am giving it a 4-star in stead of 3.

Thank you Net Galley and Simon Schuster for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was completely bewitched by this story!

I believe it to be the strongest book in the Owens Family saga. Practical magic was fun and introduced the reader to the family, Rules of magic was solemn and gave a backstory to the family, Magic Lessons is enchanting and gives an enthralling history of the dreaded family curse.

The book opens with Maria, who for all accounts is the “matriarch” of the Owens family blood line and follows her life from one side of the world to the other. She endures happiness, heartache, friendship, and her ultimate undoing- LOVE.

From a young age Maria knows to be cautious of Love, she has seen how Love can not only ruin but end lives, her life work is to heal the “weak”, broken hearted women- of which she vows to never be a part of. Maria believes herself more cunning than these woman, to be protected from Love by her knowledge of it. But Love, true Love, unrequited Love, is far more powerful !

While I have yet to read Practical Magic, I did read the prequel, The Rules of Magic. I found Magic Lessons to be even better, as I enjoyed the historical fiction aspect of Salem and John Hathorne’s character. Maria was a fabulous character and it was enchanting to follow her story from England’s Essex County to the islands and eventually Salem, MA. Definitely put this spellbinding story on your to-read list.

For fans of "Practical Magic" and "The Rules of Magic," "Magic Lessons" is the prequel story that gives us the origin of the Owens' women and the curse that follows them from generation to generation. In general, I am not a fan of prequel stories written after the success of the 'original' story. I never read "Practical Magic"- I am a bit embarrassed to admit that I almost don't want to read it because I watched the movie almost religiously as a teenager and I want that to be my memory of it. But I read "The Rules of Magic" and LOVED it. Alice Hoffman is an amazing writer and her writing really brings her characters to life.

I have always thought that there is no point to reading prequels because I know what will happen later. I still think this is true, but the "magic" of Hoffman's writing and the timepiece of this story makes it interesting as its own separate book. I was hesitant at first, thinking that another re-telling of Salem would be a bore to read. Thankfully, the story of Maria Owens in Salem starts before the famous witch trials and it was more a background setting than the focal point of the story. The title "Magic Lessons" refers to the lessons that Maria learns and develops as a witch in the late 1600s. For those who do not love stories about witches and magic, Hoffman does a beautiful job creating a story about important life lessons, such as loving someone who will love you back and doing no harm to others.

I am definitely biased when it comes to this author- Alice Hoffman could probably write about dirt and I would love it. I preferred the second half of the story to the first- as Maria grows up, she uses the lessons that she has learned to make less infuriating life choices. I recommend this story to people who want to feel a little magic in their lives- I can't get over how pretty Hoffman's writing style is. <3

Thank you Netgalley and Simon and Schuster for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. "Magic Lessons" has been recently released just in time for Halloween! This is an excellent book to start or to finish the Owen's saga.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading Magic Lessons, the prequel for Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. Hannah Owens finds baby Maria on her doorstep in the 1600s English countryside. The story follows Maria from England to Curaçao to Salem, Massachusetts. Engaging story.

Alice Hoffman's skill in writing relatable characters into heartwrenching situations is constantly on display in every one of her books, and "Magic Lessons" is no exception. A prequel to "Practical Magic," "Magic Lessons" is a journey of a historical fiction novel, taking the reader from England to Curacao to New York, Salem, and beyond. Maria Owens, a dark-haired baby, was left in a basket in a field in the English countryside, with only a black crow to watch over her and a blue-threaded blanket to keep her warm. When she is found and taken in by Hannah, a healer and a love specialist in the Unnamed Arts, Maria embarks on her life's journey through all its joys, sorrows, and brushes with both good and evil. I love the family ties and familial drama of Alice Hoffman's works. There is something special about following a magical family of women from the 1600s to the 1990s and watching their growth and shared experiences and sharing in the strong emotion Hoffman is so skilled at eliciting from readers. And it's just in time for the season of witches this October!

Oh my goodness, where do I begin?! Yesterday and I had a terrible day, I went to bed and opened my book, as I do every night, thinking I would only read a few pages before I would get sleepy and give up for the day. I only had about 50 pages of this dream of a book left but figured there was no way I would get through them all. Boy was I wrong! As has been the case all along with this book, I was sucked right back into Maria Owens' story and I did not want to stop! I have been a lover of Practical Magic for decades and I thoroughly enjoyed The Rules of Magic. When I heard Alice Hoffman was writing the prequel to both of these divine novels I could not wait to get my hands on it. Magic Lessons was everything I had hoped and more! I was thoroughly bewitched by the telling of how the Owens women came to be. Ms. Hoffman has such a masterful way with words that I did not want to put this down but I also did not want it to end! If you have any interest in the Practical Magic series at all do not hesitate to pick this one up. Last night, after a truly terrible day, I finished this enchanting novel very late, with very sleepy eyes but a warm cozy feeling in my heart and a smile on my face.

If you're a fan of Hoffman's brand of magic realism as this reader is, you'll be delighted to discover the origin story of her coven of witches, the Owens sisters, featured in many of her best-selling mysteries The story begins in seventeenth century Massachusetts and weaves the events of that witch-obsessed era into those that occurred centuries later This is romantic fantasy at it's best, and I loved r;

I read my first Alice Hoffman, Rules of Magic last year & I quickly followed that with Faithful & The World That We Knew, all 5⭐️reads! This story once again showcases Hoffman’s amazing ability to not only weave a really good story but to write it in a way that made me FEEL for these characters. ⁣
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This is the story of Maria Owens, who in 1620 was charged with witchery. We meet Maria when she is a baby abandoned on a cold, snowy day and we get to follow her through many decades. We get plenty of magic, witches, and potions alongside themes of love, loss, and fate that made this a very atmospheric, yet thoughtful read. Hoffman doesn’t shy away from tragedy and pain which I have to say is one of my very favorite things about her writing. If you’re wondering if you need to read this before Rules of Magic I’d say no but I do think it adds that something special to knowing the Owens family origins. ⁣
Favorite Quote...𝘕𝘰 𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘒𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘴 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘛𝘪𝘮𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘋𝘪𝘴𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘴.

Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

**Thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to review this eArc.**


To set up my review I want it to be known that I have not read Practical Magic or The Rules of Magic, so this review is based off Magic Lessons alone.

This was a well written story about the Owens Family. A family of witches that starts of with Maria. I really enjoyed the Historical Fiction aspect of the book. It was right up my alley. I liked following along with Maria and getting to know her history and family. This is a series that I am interested in continuing.

Although a tad predictable it was not enough to throw off the story. Did Magic Lessons leave me floored and just amazed, No. But it did keep me entertained and pleasantly surprised. So for that I would definitely recommend the book.

A big Thank You to Alice Hoffman for providing us with this fun piece of Fiction.

Another wonderful volume of the Practical Magic series. This book takes us back to where it started - with the story of Maria Owens in the times of the Salem witch trials. The writing was spellbinding; filled with the magical adages readers have come to love in the books. This can be read as a standalone, or as the first book if you're new to the series, however those who have enjoyed the previous books are sure to enjoy this one even more.
Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the advance copy.

About every ten years I break out some of my favorite authors' works and re-read them. Magic Lessons is a recently released prequel to the Practical Magic books, and an excellent introduction to the Owens woman in these old favorites of mine, Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. If you haven't read them yet, wait until you have finished this one. If you have, after finishing Magic Lessons read them again. My focus changed when I began re-reading Practical Magic. I found that very interesting.

We find ourselves in Essex County, England beginning in 1664 when abandoned baby Maria is found wrapped snugly in a basket of reeds with a crow perched on the handle, by Hannah Owens. There is nothing 'normal' about Maria but Hannah joyfully raises the girl as if she were her own child. Maria has powers that are growing as she does, abilities that can only be attributed to the Unnamed Arts. Fortunately, Hannah is also a bloodline witch who enjoys teaching Maria all that she will need to know to use her powers for good.

In 1674 Hannah is killed by witch hunters, and after spending some time with her just discovered natural parents, Maria and her familiar, the crow named Caden, are sent to the West Indies, to a Dutch island called Curacao, where she finds that her father has sold her - she will be an indentured servant to the Jansen family for five years. Her luck does get better for a time, and she manages to remain positive and perhaps happy. At 16 she acquires her freedom from the Jansen family, is abandoned by her first love, births a daughter, Faith, and eventually finds her way carrying Faith and Caden, to Salem and NYC where she finds herself and her roll in life. A good book. Lots of herbal advice throughout, and a story that is hard to put down.

I received a free ARC of this excellent novel from Netgalley, Alice Hoffman, and Simon &
Schuster. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this novel of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work. Alice Hoffman is an author with whom you can never go wrong.

I absolutely love this book! I had downloaded Practical Magic a few days before being approved for Magic Lessons so when I received the ARC I put Practical Magic on hold to read the prequel! This is so remarkably enchanting and sucks you right in from the first line.

This is such an amazing book, I love how it feels like you're living in this book world right along side the characters, even through the heartbreaking parts. The descriptions of characters, places and feelings is so rich in detail, I could not put this down! I highly recommend this book to anyone who is thinking about reading it.

This goes through the personal growth of Maria Owens, her growth in the craft, Cadin (Maria's familiar) finding and staying with her, Maria's losses, her ambitious nature and finding who she is after being abandoned by her mother and connecting one more time with her mother (finding out who her father is) then her mother dying (which wasn't a total loss to be honest). Maria goes through so much in this, it is a huge gut punch ride for some of it.

If I could give more than 5 stars I would wholeheartedly give them!

Thank you Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This is the very first book of Alice Hoffman's I have read and to say I'm eager to eat up the words of her other stories is an understatement. Practical Magic has been one of my favorite movies since I was a tiny girl and to start off my Hoffman reading journey with Maria Owens, a strong, independent woman, I couldn't be anymore fulfilled.

Alice Hoffman's longtime readers will know that women of the Owens bloodline, practitioners of the Nameless Art, have suffered from troubles of the heart for generations. "Beware of love, Maria Owens had written on the first page of her journal. Know that for our family, love is a curse. The curse, according to Maria's writings, was simply "Ruination for any man who falls in love with them." How did the curse come about? We learned a little of it in The Rules of Magic which gives us the backstory of how Sally and Gillian came to live with their aunts Franny and Jet and how Franny and Jet ended up living in the historic Owens family home. For instance, we know that Maria Owens fell in love with, and was ultimately betrayed by, the witchfinding magistrate of Salem, John Hathorne. But where and how?

Magic Lessons gives us Maria Owens' complicated story, beginning with her life as a foundling in Essex, England, where she is taken in and raised by Hannah Owens, a practitioner. When Hannah foresees and suffers her own horrible fate, Maria leaves England and searches for safety, having been sold by her stepfather (for she eventually meets her mother) for indentured service to a captain on a vessel sailing to the Dutch colony of Curaçao. There she must work for five years for a Dutch family to earn her freedom. She does and just as she is going to be free she meets their guest, a tradesman by the name of John Hathorne. After a few fateful days, Maria is left heartbroken, pregnant, and bound toward the Salem colony of Massachusetts, to catch up with the man she is sure she loves. Only does he? And does he love her? With so much of the magic of the Nameless Art centered on love (and its heartaches), Maria has failed to listen to Hannah Owens cardinal rule- Always love someone who will love you back. She will pay a heavy price for this mistake, as will her daughter Faith, and the young Jewish man who saves Maria's and Faith's lives, just as Maria has saved his. But given Maria's uttered curse, perhaps Samuel Dias' price is just the price of happiness.

Magic Lessons is both a novel of historical fiction, looking at the era of the Salem Witch Trials, and a beautiful novel of fantasy, giving us the Owens family history. The elements of the Marrano history of the Sephardim in Portugal were a wonderful touch to the story, as well. I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. I am, however, now hungry for the story of Hannah Owens, and for that of the enchanting Catherine Durant, another practitioner. You will never satisfy us, Alice!

After reading, I promptly listened to Sutton Foster's beautiful narration of the novel to enjoy the story all over again. Lessons learned? "Drink chamomile tea to calm the spirit. Feed a cold and starve a fever. Read as many books as you can. Always choose courage. Never watch another woman burn. Know that love is the only answer."

I received a paper and digital review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Magic Lessons is a great fall read. I love this story from the first sentence to the last. It is the prequel to both Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. It takes place in the 1600’s and gives us the story of the Owens family and how they came to be cursed by love. It is set largely in Salem which gives it the perfect atmosphere for all things witchy. The story of Hannah and Maria, a young baby Hannah finds abandoned in a snowy field in rural England. Love brings them to Salem, tragedy, and the lesson of knowing that you have to love someone who loves you, too. Hoffman is a supreme storyteller. The story paces well, if perhaps just a bit slow to start, and you find yourself hoping these women find their loves. The supporting characters have as much depth as the lead characters which makes it’s easy to move through the story cheering for love and booing the villains. I would classify it as an “unputdownable” book.

If you haven’t read Practical Magic or The Rules of Magic yet, read Magic Lessons first. If you have read one or both of them, Magic Lessons nicely pulls everything together for you. Of the three, Magic Lessons is my definite favorite. If you enjoy historical fiction, fantasy, magical realism, or "witchy" books, you will love Magic Lessons.

A huge thank you to Net Galley and Simon & Schuster for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

#magiclessons #alicehoffman #simonschuster #witches #salem #magicalrealism

This book is a prequel to the Practical Magic series, as it covers Maria Owens, the original witch in the Owens bloodline. I started with this one and would now like to read the rest of the series.

Maria Owens, abandoned as a baby and raised by a witch in England. Hannah only used her witchcraft skills for good but people were still frightened of her. Upon Hannah's death, Maria travels to Dutch Curacao to become an indentured servant. There she meets a man who loves her and leaves her pregnant. Maria thinks if she can only get to Salem, Massachusetts, she can find him and take her place in his life. On her arrival, she realizes he is married and has a family, and has no place for her in his life.

Maria and her daughter, Faith, make their way as best they can. She eventually ends up in New York, where she uses her skills for good. This is a time period when women have no power, and everything can be taken from them at a moment's notice. Everyone was afraid of someone who was seen as slightly different from them, therefore that person must be a witch.

Hoffman’s story relies heavily on witchcraft, magic and spells, and some bad choices along the way. Hoffman says, by way of Maria, "What you knew today, you didn’t know yesterday."