I'm sure I could come up with plenty of witchy puns here but the main point is this -- I loved everything about this book. I haven't read any of Hoffman's other Owens women novels but you can bet they are all on my TBR list now. From the beginning Hoffman paints a world of natural beauty and wonder against the darkness and fear within humanity. This conflict plays out throughout the story as the Owens women, first with Hannah then Maria and Faith, help others despite the whispers and violence inflicted on them. The focus is mainly on Maria and she's a great character, full of complexities and I connected with her instantly. They make mistakes, they learn, they lose at times but they also win. Be ready to feel all the emotions in this story.

The prose itself is absolute magic, both lush and evocative without detracting from the plot. It kept me sucked in even when the story slowed to take a breath, a sign of great pacing. The climax was incredible, building on a lot of small details that came beforehand, and the ending was pure perfection. It's definitely one of those moments when finishing reading that, as a reader, you know the characters and their future will always have a special place in your memory.

I would suspect that those who have read the other novels in the series would get even more from it than I did but since I enjoyed it so much I would absolutely recommend it to any reader. It's a wonderful read for spooky season but even more so as a story about women supporting other women and standing strong together, even through the worst times.

I am going to be completely honest with you, I loved the movie Practical Magic more than the book. The Rules of Magic was just ok for me also. When I was able to get an ARC of Magic Lessons I was just hoping this would break the mediocrity that I felt for the other books, and boy did it.

This is a prequel, to the previous books in the series taking place in the 1600’s in London, Massachusetts, and New York. Maria who is found as a baby and raised by Hannah Owens. Hannah is witch, and right away she knows Maria is special. She is not only a witch, but it comes from her bloodlines. Hannah raises Maria in all the teachings of the craft and to be good.

When Maria loses Hannah to biases and hatred, she finds herself on a ship and sold to servitude where she continues to refine her craft. She falls in love and Faith is born of that relationship, she will do anything to protect her.

This is wonderful lush story, that I never wanted to end. Hannah, Maria and Faith are so memorable. Personally, I could visualize a movie the entire time. Savor this one, I am not sure we will get another story that is about Owens women.

Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book, a part of the Practical Magic series, tells the centuries-old tale of Maria Owens. It tells of her beginning as an orphan and the woman who loved her as her own, of Maria's time in Curacao where she thought she found love but only found lies. And her time in Massachusetts and New York. This prequel explains why the Owens girls are all cursed in love.

I have so much love in my heart for Rules of Magic. When I read it two years ago, I didn't think I would like it at all, but it immediately captured my heart, and I still sometimes think about it. I immediately bought Practical Magic, although it was hard to find at the time, and I loved that too. I rented the movie and revelled in the same excitement I felt when I watched it as a kid. So, naturally, I couldn't wait to read Magic Lessons. Well... I didn't love it 🤷🏻‍♀️ The beginning was just overdone with "telling" and lists for spells and recipes that I just couldn't get into it. I'm really disappointed, too, because I was so looking forward to all the feelings I felt while reading the previous two. This one felt somewhat repetitive and a bit contrived, if I'm being honest. I did enjoy the story line of Maria and Samuel (was his name Samuel? THAT'S how much I didn't get into this), but I just thought the "curse" was something that could have been reversed. I'm sad this one was such a miss for me.

I have never read Alice Hoffman. Her books have been on my radar for years and I have repeatedly said that I was going to read Practical Magic as I love the movie and have watched it many, many times and knew I really needed to read the book. So when this came out and the chance to read more about Maria and the origins of the Owen's women and the "curse" was very exciting. It was one I was really looking forward to.
And then life happened. This book needed way more time than I gave it. THIS is true HF and needs to be savored and read slowly. It takes time to absorb all you are reading here; there is a lot of [really good] story here, and you need time to think and absorb and deal with the emotions it evokes. And trust me, there will be emotions evoked. The Salem witch trials ALWAYS evoke emotions. Chasing and accusing witches ALWAYS evoke emotions. Mother/Daughter relationships [both good and bad] ALWAYS evoke emotions. And it is all here, to be taken in.

It was my own fault that I left it too long [life and other things] and then had to read it so quickly[I do try and get my books read for NetGalley on time. I hate when I am late]. It was good, but not as good as it would have been had I given it the time it deserved. I enjoyed it, but because I didn't leave myself time to absorb all I was reading, there were moments of frustration as I wanted the book to move faster. THIS is not because the book was boring or dragging; this was simply me. It was still a very good read and a lot of questions I had were answered. I think fans of the books and of the original movie will be very pleased.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The perfect book to read this fall--with parts set in Salem, Massachusetts, during the infamous witch trials of the 1690s. This prequel to the Practical Magic series takes us back to the life of the matriarch of the family, Maria Owens, and the origins of the family curse: 'To any man who ever loves an Owens, let this curse befall you, let your fate lead to disaster, let you be broken in body and soul, and may it be that you never recover.'

An interesting look at that part of our country's history. You wouldn't want to have been a woman during those Puritanical times!

I always enjoy listening to a song that has great meaning to a character in the story I'm reading and in this case it was this folk song, The Water is Wide: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EfHZ...

I received an arc of this new book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Many thanks.

I loved Magic Lessons! It’s everything a good book should be—romance, sacrifice, high stakes, relationships, and magic.

Magic Lessons was both beautiful and annoying. Although I love the descriptive way Alice Hoffman writes, there was just too many words. I basically skimmed 70% of the book. At times I was annoyed at Maria for choices she made, I tried to remind myself she was young and living in a very different time. The story itself was great- hence the reason I didn’t quit reading. I only wish there was more character development so I could feel more in touch with both Maria and Faith.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the chance to read this title before its publication date.

As a huge fan of both Practical Magic and Rules of Magic I was BEYOND excited for Magic Lessons, an origins story of the Owens family that follows the original matriarch Maria Owens in 1600s Salem.

Sadly, this novel was not what I hoped it would be. In fact, After reading almost the halfway point I put it down for several months before picking it back up. Having read a few Alice Hoffman books it feels as though she almost has two different writing styles: whimsical and magical, full of beautiful and poignant prose, and history textbook.

This one was a bit too history textbook for my liking. It also felt like it was trying too hard to be magical as opposed to magic just existing and being a part of the world. Maria is a tough character to get to know as Hoffman never really lets us in her mind. It is a lot of repetitive stuff made to allow the reader to make a connection to the first two books but without substance or feeling. I struggled to care about any of the characters in this book.

There were a few turns in the plot that I appreciated but they didn't come until the last quarter of the book. The very last chapter felt whimsical and like it was written by a completely different person than the rest of the book. If it had all felt that way I probably would've enjoyed it a lot more. I honestly think that a story about Maria would've worked better as a novella or short story.

Overall, I think this book may have been driven more by fan service and less the desire to tell this particular story. I'll stick with re-reading Rules of Magic every year and will still be looking out of new books by Alice Hoffman.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the free review copy! 5 stars!! This may be my favorite Alice Hoffman book to date. I am a big fan of the Practical Magic series and Magic Lessons is nothing short of amazing. This installment follows the life of Maria Owens, the ancestor referenced in Practical Magic. The book helps to shed light on the curse that plagues the Owens women and how/why it came to be. My favorite aspect is that Magic Lessons definitely leaves an opening for more prequels in the series. I hope we see more of the Owens family!

I couldn't wait to get back to the Owens family. This book was the darkest of the books, but I loved it. The characters are deep and believable, and nobody does witchy like Alice Hoffman!

There is no better way to spend an October day than reading an Alice Hoffman book, and I was so happy to read another Owens story. Maria Owens has been a mystery for ages, so I was excited to read her story and I wasn't disappointed. Hoffman's writing seems to glide through time in a way that's entrancing and melancholic at the same time, and she isn't afraid to push her characters to their limits.

There are a couple of plot points that drag on a little, but that's my only real hang up here. The story is beautiful, and I think Magic Lessons is my favorite out of all three books.

In Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, readers saw the Owens women's cursed love lives. In Magic Lessons, we travel back to 1600s Massachusetts, where a young Maria Owens is using her powers for good and making a place in the world for her descendants. But when she's scorned by a man who once declared his love for her, we learn where the Owens family curse began.

This was a fantastic October read! Delightfully witchy with so much heart. I think The Rules of Magic is my favorite of the three books in this world, but I still thoroughly enjoyed Magic Lessons. Hoffman's writing is so enchanting, and her characters are completely lovable despite their flaws. The narrative voice in her Practical Magic books is so pleasant to read, and I'll keep reading anything she writes in this world.

This is one of my favorite books of the year. I loved it so much. Magical, entertaining, mysterious and mesmerizing. I was completely enthralled by this book, I wish it didn't end

3.5 Stars rounded up to 4

I picked this to read because I've read good things from my Goodreads friends about the Alice Hoffman books "The Rules of Magic" and "Practical Magic". In fact, when these books appeared on kindle sales I purchased them for future reading based on their recommendations. When I realized that this was the prequel to those books, naturally it piqued my curiosity.

The story begins in late 1600s England in Essex County, transitions across the water to another Essex County in Massachusetts, then to Brooklyn and Maiden Lane in New York City. On a personal note, back in the 80s when I was a newly minted "yuppie", I used to walk down Maiden Lane to my first real job in the Wall Street area where I passed daily a wonderful muffin and coffee shop, but also drug dealers selling right out in the open to other yuppies.

This is an engaging story of Maria Owens who was left as a baby wrapped up securely in a blue blanket (blue thread provides protection) for a witch named Hannah Owens to find. Baby Maria also had the mark of a witch, but like her adoptive mother, she only wanted to use her gifts to help people. As she was taught, when you use dark magic the repercussions will boomerang back on you threefold. The biggest problems townfolk would seek out help with were love problems. Love problems are always the hardest, aren't they? Even for Maria!

I love reading about all the witch quirks such as when they touch anything silver it turns black, they usually attract a particular animal that becomes their loyal and ever present familiar, they cannot be drowned, and they can see flashes of their future by looking into a black mirror. I also loved reading about the fragrant black soap they made and sold which would make people look and feel decades younger, and about their methods of saving people on their deathbeds. In addition, there are special teas, plants, herbs and candles in the witches' toolbox.

Most of all, this story was about love, being an outcast (this was during the time of the Salem witch trials, after all) and the importance of using your natural gifts for good rather than evil. The writing was pleasant and free flowing, but my one complaint was that it felt as if I was reading this book for a longer time than necessary. I actually wondered if this book was 600 pages long, but it turned out to be a little over 400 pages. Perhaps it could have been edited down a little bit more.

Magic Lessons is the prequel to The Rules of Magic which was the prequel to Practical Magic. This is story of Maria Owens, the maker of the curse. If you do not know (because you are unfamiliar with Practical Magic) anyone who loves an Owens will die young. This is the story of how this curse comes to be and Maria's life after making it.
Maria is the orphaned daughter of a bloodline witch who is left so that the local witch Hannah Owens will find her as a baby. Maria is from Essex, England and after various tragedies finds herself with a baby and in search of John Hawthorne, her daughter Faith's father. 10 years after leaving Essex, England Maria finds herself in Essex County, Massachusetts where her world comes apart.
This book finally gives us the story that creates the environment for the original Owens family story that occurs 300-400 years later. I enjoyed this book and am a huge fan of historical fiction. However, Practical Magic is still my favorite of the three novels but this delivered on giving me the story that starts this family.

Beautiful addition to the Practical Magic line up. This may be my favorite one yet. Perfect October read, loved all the history!

I’m going to stop this one 52% in. It’s been a struggle to read it this far and I’m just not finding it interesting. It feels like I’m reading something of hers that I already read.

Really wanted to like this and I enjoy Alice Hoffman but this isn’t for me. Thanks to Netgalley for the arc.

I was absolutely elated that I was given the opportunity to read and review this book. There is definitely credence to the hype surrounding this book.

Hannah Owens lived in a small glade, Devotion Field, in Essex County England. In January of 1664, she found an abandoned baby and took her in - Maria. Here they form a bond of mother and daughter and taught her the ways of the Nameless Art.

Once she was old enough to have a book of her own (Grimoire), Hannah had told her the rules of magic:
"Do as you will, but harm no one.
What you will give will be returned to you threefold."

By the summer of 1674, Maria's birth mother came to Hannah for help; a love potion that needed undoing. But Hannah's help came at a price that cost Hannah. Fleeing with her mother, Maria ends up on a ship and sent to Curacao to work off her price of passage. Here she meets John Hawthorne, who will change her fate in more ways than one.

"... she knew early on that love would either be a blessing or a curse."

I loved the journey Maria traversed. The ups and the downs. How the family curse for loving an Owen's woman came to be and how taking a dark path can lead to consequences. And how sometimes, pushing things/people away will not stop the outcome. You should definitely give this a read.

Over the years I have read all of Alice Hoffman’s books dealing with “practical Magic” and the descendants of Maria Owens and enjoyed them. This book was a standout for me. Maybe it is because this is where it all begins and her treatment of her characters is so complete.

Acknowledging that there is “no magic as coveted or as effective as that which used words” Ms. Hoffman has bested herself. The magic on the pages is real. She is a gifted and skillful writer who kept me entranced for over 400 pages. Whether describing the murder of a loved one which a small child is forced to watch or fighting with her heart and her love of an ordinary man, her grasp of the basic emotions is mesmerizing.

Hoffman sums up the book perfectly in the last 4 sentences:
“Read as many books as you can. Always chose courage. Never watch another woman burn. Know that love is the only answer.”

Thank you Simon & Schuster & NetGalley for a copy.

I love this book. Like … my favorite out of the three books in the series LOVE. Like … I’ve already read it twice this year LOVE. I love the clever magical recipes featured in the book. I love the storyline. I love the characters. I just adore it.

Alice Hoffman has been a new-ish find for me, and I devour her books now as quickly as I can get them in my hands. Her writing voice reminds me a little of Isabel Allende, who excels at creating a mystique, an aura of magic and mystery in her books. Her choice of third person omniscient point o view makes the reader feel like you are reading a genealogy or history of real people. It is easy to become completely attached to the characters. This is a real skill as an author. I recently read another book of her short stories, The Red Garden, and I felt grieved to move on from one story to another when I’d already made such a strong connection to the people in the story I was reading. This book feels the same way.

This is a book about love. “Is this love?” is a question that the Maria asks of herself over and over in the book. The truth is, yes, it’s all love. The love that props you up and gives you a home. The love for and from a child. The twisted/obsessive kind of love that can tear you down. The many kinds of love that drive women to Maria’s back door in the deep of night asking for charms to smooth their way. You experience all these different kinds of love, while the book reminds you that the love you put out into the world comes back to you in the end.

“This is how you begin in the world. These are the lessons to be 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 enjoyed this book very much, even more than the other two books in the series. I re-read all three this month because it is finally turning into fall, and Halloween is coming. If you’re looking for a witchy read then I can’t recommend this book more.

Song for this book: Dreams by Fleetwood Mac (I mean it has to be Stevie Nick’s right?)