I LOVE Alice Hoffman, but this may be my least favorite book of hers. I was intrigued to learn the backstory of the Owens family but I struggled to get through this one. It lacked the engagement I'm used to Hoffman's books having and had it been any other author, I probably would have DNFd this one.

Maria Owens was abandoned as a baby and raised by Hannah Owens. Hannah realized early on that Maria had a natural gift in the “Unnamed Arts” and taught her as much as she could. Maria learned many things from Hannah, but one of her most important lessons is that you should only love someone willing to love you back. Through a series of tragic events, Maria finds herself abandoned by a man who said he loved her and she follows him to the New World. It is in Salem, Massachusetts that she is accused of witchcraft and invokes the curse that will haunt her family for centuries.

Magic Lessons is a prequel to Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. Readers who enjoyed these primary stories will relish reading about the events that are often referenced in these pages. Hoffman was able to cover many decades of history without making the reader feel as if they were losing important parts of the characters’ lives. It was wonderful to see how the curse that was so often referred to developed. This is a prequel, but I don’t think it would matter if you read it third (as it was written) or first (as it would be chronologically).

"Be grateful if you have walked through the world with another's heart in your hand."

Hoffman creates magic in her latest novel and prequel to Practical Magic, Magic Lessons, and this was a perfect book to kick off my autumn as it was a delight from beginning to end. The story deals with magic (obviously), family, history, injustice and love to tie it all together. As always, Hoffman uses her magical gift with the pen to create colorful descriptions and wonderful prose.

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 truly spellbound me and transported me to another world as I dove into the Ownes’ lives and worlds. I’m a huge fan of witch related stories, and this book did not disappoint. I was captivated by each character as they were real, endearing and riveting. This story was a bit darker than the others in this series, but that is due to the time period in which the story is set.

After I turned the last page, I could not believe the story was over. I did not want to leave the world of these characters and the characters themselves for they had truly become a part of me. Thankfully, I have Hoffman’s other books in this series, and I’m so excited to reread them after experiencing their prequel. I can only hope that Hoffman keeps writing more novels in this series as I don’t want to leave the world of the Owens’ family.

Thank you Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the advance reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

After reading Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, I was very eager to read about Maria Owens and what caused her to curse the rest of her family for generations to come. Magic Lessons is told in the time of the Salem Witch trials. A time when being an independent woman and especially an independent woman with knowledge of healing is a dangerous time.
Although, Magic Lessons is a prequel it is a book that can stand alone. Very enjoyable read!! I look forward to reading other books by Alice Hoffman.
I received this book from NetGalley for my honest review. Thank you to Simon Schuster and NetGalley for a copy of Magic Lessons !!! 4.5 out of 5 stars!.

The prequel to the prequel. That's how I looked at this book.

I really enjoyed The Rules of Magic and was happy to be picked to read Magic Lessons. Alice Hoffman is a superstar writer and this book is no different. This time, we go back even further - to the beginning, to England, to Salem and to the beginning of the Owens family. This is darker than the other two books - and for good reason.

Thanks to netGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read and review this book.

I am familiar with Practical Magic since it is one of my favorite movies, but this is the first book by Alice Hoffman that I've read. I will be reading through her back list now. I loved this book so much! How have I missed this author? Some of my favorite genres are fantasy, historical fantasy, and magical realism, especially when witches are involved. Well, I am a fan now!

Hoffman's writing brings the reader along this journey through time when women were persecuted and executed for being too intelligent, too vocal, too much; all under the guise of witchcraft. Once accused, there was little hope of acquittal or survival.

This is not just a story about the history of that time in the 17th century when it wasn't safe to be a woman. It is also a story of a mother's love and how that love will make a woman do almost anything in order to protect her children, even to the detriment of her own safety or survival.

The love story running through this book is one of those rare romances, one that the reader hopes is truly meant to be.. Fear of having her heart broken, Maria takes steps to insure that she will never fall in love. Sometimes, the Universe knows a thing or two that we should pay attention to, doesn't it?

I really liked and appreciated the special attention that was given to women's issues. This is another dark part of our history and in order to prevent it from happening again, we need stories that tell us where we've come from. This book does that.

I gave this book 5 stars and highly recommend it to any fan of fantasy, historical fantasy, and magical realism.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for giving me the opportunity to read this amazing book!

I have loved every Alice Hoffman novel I have read and this was definitely no exception! A prequel to one of my all-time favorite books ("Practical Magic"), "Magic Lessons" tells the origins of the Owens family through the story of Maria Owens, an infant abandoned in a field in 1600's England. It is not only the story of a young witch exploring her natural talents, it is also the story of the complex relationships between mothers and daughters and between women and the men they love. "Magic Lessons" is definitely darker and more intense than the other two novels about the Owens women, but it is a fantastic read nonetheless. Though it is a prequel, it can be enjoyed as a standalone novel as well.

Many thanks to NetGalley, to Simon & Schuster, and to Alice Hoffman for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this incredible book!

Magic Lessons is a new favorite that I'll be adding to my bookshelves. This is the beautiful and tragic story of Maria Owens, the first of the legendary Owens women. I absolutely loved this book - Alice Hoffman's writing is magical and the story is exquisite. Highly recommend.

A prequel to the Practical Magic books that tells the story of the start of the Owens women, who are persecuted through history for their natural healing talents.

Alice Hoffman has done it again! I’ve read the previous Practical Magic books and loved them (both also five stars). I was nervous to read this one because how likely is it that I’d love that one also? I think I enjoyed this prequel even more than the others. It’s been years since I read the other books, so please know that you can read this without having read either of the others. It definitely works as a stand alone, although they’ll want to read the next two. Since this is a prequel, I’d even advise reading this one first. The language was beautiful. I enjoyed the novelty of the spells and herbal remedies. If you enjoy stories involving the Salem with trials, you’ll enjoy this, as some of the story does take place during that setting. Most of all, this is a story about love between mothers and daughters, and opening your heart to love with others. This was just a beautiful story all around.

“It was a dangerous world for women, and more dangerous for a woman whose very bloodline would have her do not as she was ordered, but as she pleased.”

“There are none who can fight as fiercely as mother and daughter, and none who can forgive more completely.”

Enjoyed it. I thought this book was abit darker than her other books but, it worked. Maria Owens is the original with in the series, so I guess this was a prequel? Maria is abandoned as a baby and adopted by a witch. The premise of the story is always love someone who will love you back.
I did struggle in the beginning to get into the story, but it was worth it. I enjoyed it.

Thank you Simon & Schuester and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this intriguing book.

jb
https://seniorbooklounge.blogspot.com/

Alice Hoffman has a way with storytelling that is unmatched by any other. I wouldn’t be surprised if she actually used a bit of her own magic to write this book.

This book is a prequel to “Practical Magic” and “The Rules of Magic”. So if you haven't read either of those, start here. It has a bit of historical fiction, covering the Salem witch trials, but also a healthy dose of magical realism.

The story is centered around the life of Maria Owens: her upbringing, experiences with a man who lied to her, trial for being accused of practicing more horrible things than she actually did, a man she helped while at sea, and of course her daughter. Maria believes that anything one does comes back to that person threefold, so she only tries to help people for the most part. The story takes some twists and turns, and at times I felt that some of the decisions Maria made were not in her best interest.

The book is full of the kind of details that Hoffman is famous for. I enjoyed reading it.

This is my fifth Alice Hoffman book. I’ve read both of the other books in this series, Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, as well as The World That We Knew and The Dovekeepers. Ratings-wise, her work is all over the place for me, but I still count her among my favorite authors because her writing style is consistently beautiful and magical and never fails to sweep me off my feet. In that regard, Magic Lessons was no exception. In terms of vivid scenery, immersive descriptions, and deep musings on love, family, friendship, and heartbreak, it more than lived up to my expectations.

Another hallmark of every Hoffman novel is romance, and I’m not usually a fan of the way Hoffman writes romance, although there are exceptions; a few of the relationships in The Rules of Magic and The Dovekeepers were pretty good. And I went into Magic Lessons expecting to hate the romance, especially since, having read the other books in the series, I knew things between Maria and her love interest, John, wouldn’t work out. (I feel confident not tagging that as a spoiler because, even if you haven’t read the other books, Hoffman makes it very clear from very early on in the story.)

Just as I expected, I did hate Maria’s relationship with John, and I hated John, but I appreciated that Hoffman never tried to depict their relationship as something it wasn’t. John isn’t a good man and he isn’t made out to be, and their relationship is less of a love story than a cautionary tale. It was frustrating to witness Maria ignore an entire parade of red flags, and she kept making decisions I disagreed with, but none of that ruined the experience for me. Instead, it balanced out Maria’s Mary Sue qualities, which I more or less expect from a Hoffman protagonist. They’re usually the most beautiful woman you’ve ever seen, with the power to make men instantly fall in love with them, but at least Maria has flaws. She makes mistakes. (And I’ll admit I do kind of enjoy yelling at a protagonist who constantly makes mistakes.)

Even though love is one of this book’s central themes, Magic Lessons isn’t just about love, and it’s not just about romantic love. There are themes of family and friendship that I was far more invested in than Maria’s relationship with John. There was, of course, plenty of magic. The first book in this series, Practical Magic, focused way too much on the romance and didn’t have nearly enough magic in my opinion, but The Rules of Magic was much better in that department and so was Magic Lessons. There are also some top-quality human-animal bonds in this book. Cadin the crow was probably my favorite character.

Hoffman is such a strong historical fiction writer, and it really comes across in Magic Lessons. I was impressed by how many strands of history she managed to weave together in one book, in three very different settings: England, Curaçao, and Massachusetts. Hoffman did go off on some brief historical tangents that I found informative but that did sometimes feel a bit forced, but I can’t complain too much because I ended up learning a lot more than I would have expected from a work of fantasy.

I do have some minor complaints about the book’s plot. There was some pretty heavy-handed foreshadowing but I’m into that in fantasy so that’s not so much my problem. I did occasionally roll my eyes at how, despite Maria’s many mistakes, everything kept working out in her favor. And there wasn’t really one single, overarching plots, but several shorter storylines that were only loosely tied together, and it made the book feel much longer than it was, and not always in a good way. But this was a beautiful book, and I have to rate it highly. It swept me away and brought me to tears multiple times and I highly recommend it, especially if you’ve read and enjoyed any of Hoffman’s other books.

What can I say about this book that we don't all already know is true? Alice Hoffman is a magical writer. Her ability to write description brings a story to life, and the way she has crafted a narrative around generations of this magical family has been spellbinding. She's talented, beautiful, and enriching.

I have not read Alice Hoffman's other books including Practical Magic which this book, I believe, is a prequel to. I enjoyed Magic Lessons but I believe that I would have had a better connection to the story if I had read the other book.

Magic Lessons follows the life of Maria Owens, a woman who practices the Nameless Art. She eventually finds herself in Salem, Massachusetts, during the time of the Salem Witch Trials, desperate to find her child's father, the man she thinks she loves. Hard times befall Maria and her daughter Faith as Faith's father wants nothing to do with them, and Maria is eventually accused of witchcraft.

This book is the very definition of a slow burn. Hoffman definitely has a way with words. Her style of writing is flowery and not straight to the point. I enjoyed her style but felt that the book moved at too sluggish of a pace. It took me over a week to get through it as I didn't find myself wanting to come back to it and chose to do other things instead of read. I thought the life lessons that were taught throughout the book were a nice touch and I did enjoy how the book ended and it left me with a feeling of warmth and caring. This book also does a great job of highlighting the plight of women for centuries be it one accused of witchcraft or not. This book is not a fast paced, action packed book but more of a Sunday, site-seeing drive through the countryside.

This is an unforgettable tale that traces a centuries old curse to its original source . It tells the story of Maria Owens who is accused of witchcraft in Salem. Magic lessons is about life,love,and the story of Maria and family

A beautifully written story. Anything taking place in New England, about witches, just feels like the perfect autumn read. There were so many beautiful descriptions about the weather, environment, and atmosphere. I spent the whole novel routing for Maria and her loved ones. This is my first Hoffman but will not be my last!

Oh, my magic goodness! Alice Hoffman did it! She turned me into a 5 Star admirer.

In Alice Hoffman’s newest installment of the Practical Magic stories; Magic Lessons, she worked a spell on me and turned me into a true fan. With edible descriptions and beautiful prose, this book contained all of the ingredients for an epic story about a family of witches, growing pains, the sisterhood between women, and the lessons learned from playing with love.

Set in 1600’s England, New York, and Salem, Massachusetts, this story begins when a baby, Maria Owens, is left on the snowy doorstep of a witch’s cottage. Through her trials and tribulations of growing up with powers, and experiencing love and hate for the first time, the reader experiences what life was like as a woman with “gifts” in a worrisome society during the 17th century.

I loved the spotlight that this story gave to women. Love potions, witch trials, soulmates, women’s rights, teenage rebellion, the persecution of individuals who dared to be different—this book had it all. I had anticipated Magic Lessons to be a fun, magic-filled read, but I hadn't expected its deeper themes to feel so relevant to current issues. This is the best book in its collection and it should be a big hit this autumn!

My Rating: 5 Stars!

Thank you, NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my gifted advance eGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The story of the woman who cursed the men who love the Owens women in Practical Magic!

Maria Owens is the matriarch of the Owens family in America. She was abandoned by her mother, raised for her first ten years by a kindly woman named Hannah Owens who practiced the “Unnamed Arts”. Maria learns more magic wherever she goes. The most important thing she was taught by Hannah was to “Always love someone that will love you back”.

I really liked this book, but you know how sometimes you can be reading a book and it is 500 pages and it seems to go by in a flash while another book you can read and read for hours and you will look and you aren’t even a quarter of the way through the book? That was this book. The world building and character development was terrific and there were long descriptions of just about everything.

I’m not saying that was bad, since I really enjoyed everything about this book, it just seemed to go slower than some books. Maria’s journey really begins when she is 10 and men come to her home and burn it down. Hannah tells her to run and she does. I enjoyed her journey and how she grows at each place she ends up. Maria learns new magic at every place she goes, new cures and spells which include the local flora and fauna.

Maria is a very likable character. She is unafraid and able to take care of herself. She has no problem going where she wants and talking to people whether it be to find passage on a ship or to find a job in a new city. I have to tell you though, I know it is history, but I get so frustrated at the stupidity of people and especially when it comes to things that happened in the past.

For example, how they would tie a witch to a chair and throw it into a body of water. If the woman floated, she was a witch, but if she sunk and drowned, she was innocent. I mean really, after they killed how many innocent people do they stop??? And the puritans, that think women are the cause of all evil because of Eve and the apple. So if a man feels something for a woman who isn’t his wife, it is the woman’s fault for putting some sort of spell on him or seducing him or whatever.

Though this is a book about love even more than it is a book about magic. It shows all different kinds of love such as obsessive love, jealous love, true love, false love, mean and cruel love. The fact that Maria has magic and can help to determine the course of love for others doesn’t mean she can help herself. Since people with magic can rarely perform it on or for themselves, when they do they pay a price and whatever they put out there is returned to them threefold.

“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.”

Luckily the book doesn’t end with the curse. There are twists and turns and surprises throughout the story. I found myself in tears a few times. I liked the book for the emotional pull, for the magic and the whimsy, the animals and more. I also adore books like this where I can learn a bit of history I hadn’t known before. I never knew that in New York (which was named New Amsterdam) there once was a wall that separated the city from the wilds beyond and protected against attacks. That is how Wall Street got its name.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I have to admit that this is the very first time a novel captured my soul before it even began. The Letter to the Reader at the beginning spoke to my heart on so many levels - I was in love before I even began. With that said, the novel itself was everything I was hoping it would be. A long-time fan of Ms. Hoffman's writings, and a die hard fan of the Practical Magic stories, I was anxiously waiting for this book.

As usual, the language of this novel is absolutely stunning - Ms. Hoffman paints a detailed picture that just allows the reader to be transported back in time to the 1600's. As I was reading this book, I forgot about everything going on in my real life, and instead was just a girl traveling alongside Maria Owens throughout her life.

This is a tale of womanhood and motherhood and the ties that bind. And of course, the magic that runs through all of that. It highlights the ways in which women have been persecuted throughout time, but more specifically during the time of the witch trials. This was a time when a woman could be accused of being a witch for anything at all, even something as harmless as wearing the wrong color dress or shoes. It was a time of mistrust and fear, when anyone who was "different" was seen as a threat to be done away with. And it is the story of a woman who refused to be anything less than who and what she was, regardless of the inability of others to accept or understand. Maria Owens is a woman who, like all of us, just wants to be allowed to live her life on her own terms. It is about the relationships we all form with the people in our lives, some of whom we never thought we would, some whom we tried so hard not to only to find out they were destined to be our very closest friends.

On the aspect of motherhood, this novel highlights the endless depths of the bond between mothers and daughters, as well as the trials and tribulations that most mothers/daughters face throughout a lifetime. Mothers who struggle with their daughters growing up; daughters who go through the phase of not thinking their mothers know anything. Mothers and daughters who discover that throughout everything, there is no stronger bond than that between them.

This book was everything and then some! Thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster and the author, Alice Hoffman, for providing me with the eGalley of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion.

I am a big fan of Alice Hoffman's book. Her words, the poetry she creates out of the world is inspiring. this one was a little harder to read, maybe just because i like current stories better than historical ones.
this is a story of love, of families, of the oppression of women/witches, native people, jewish people and people who are different.