Fantastic! For lovers of magic, witchcraft and Alice Hoffman. This compelling book explains the origins of the Owens family. I was completely caught up with the lives of Hannah, Maria and Faith. Through all of the difficulties that they went went through there was triumph and love. I cannot say enough good things about this captivating book. You do not need to be familiar with the other books Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, Magic Lessons is so well written that it can stand alone. I think this book is a must read for magic and witchcraft lovers.

This book was great! I loved the character development, learning more about Salem in the 1600's and that it had different recipes in it for teas and medicines. The story was wonderful and flowed well. I truly never wanted to put this book down.
I hadn't read the other two books before reading this one and now can't wait to get them, though I'm a little scared they will disappoint after this amazing read.
This book had a little more fluff than I like to read and feel some of it easily could have been cut out. I skimmed more than once because the book went into too many details about this things that didn't matter.
I also kind of wish the book would have been two...one on Maria and another on Faith. Both of them were such strong characters, I felt like they each deserved their own book!
Overall great book that I recommend.
Thank you Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This was just so good and oh the writing was just so great as well. This was just what I wanted the history of Maria Owens the Matriarch Owens Family to be and answered all the questions I had about what happened that made her curse the men who love Owens women. We start in Essex county in England where Hannah Owens a healer finds Maria in the woods abandoned as a baby a true witch. She raises her and treats her like her own and trains her until tragedy strikes. She is taken to Curacao where she is indentured as a household servant for 3 years until her contract is up and this is where she meets the man she thinks is her fate. She ignores all signs that point to this being a bad idea and falls in "love" and while he abandons her she follows him to the New World. The good and the bad of love and what you convince yourself is true until you finally realize that what you wanted was right in front of you the whole time. This was just so great and just showcases the bonds between mothers and daughters and the 3 generations of Owens women that we get to meet in this story.

Thanks to Simon & Schuster and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

Magic Lessons is the prequel to Alice Hoffman’s 2 other wonderful books tracing the line of the Owens women, Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. It begins with the matriarch of the family, Maria, being raised by Hannah, who found her abandoned in an English field, with a crow to guard her. Hannah recognizes that Maria has a gift of magic and teaches her what she can, before events year the young Maria away and into a life of discovering her powers, and what is important in life.
A bit slower for me, especially in the beginning, than the first two books, but I did enjoy it and recommend it. Lovely writing, and it has natural remedies and cures for illness both physical and of the heart from Maria, her natural mother, and Hannah.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this advance copy of magic in exchange for my honest review.

4.5 stars for this magical novel!

Magic Lessons is a serious solemn story compared to Alice Hoffman’s previous “magic” books (“Practical Magic” and “The Rules of Magic”.) In this novel, she takes the reader back to 1664, the beginning of the Owens’ family saga and their practice of magic. This is the story of Maria, abandoned by her mother and raised by Hannah Owens, who teaches Maria about the herbs and spells she uses to help local women. It is a dangerous practice in a dark time period in England marked by male domination and men’s suspicion of women who are healers and who display independent thinking. I found the early scenes to be somber and dark, with many mean men whose ignorance and fear resulted in innocent women being imprisoned, persecuted, and put to death horribly. Even Maria’s birth mother and father were capable of meanness and trickery involving Maria’s “safety” and future.

By age 11, Maria’s passage to the New World begins a mesmerizing story of her experiences and growth into adulthood practicing the “Nameless Art”. The reader is treated to many historical details of life in the colonies, especially Salem and New York, in the 1680s and 1690s. The time period wasn’t as dark as Maria’s years in England, but clearly there was still significant persecution of women and some religious sects. Maria persists and experiences false love, real love, and motherhood. She meets hard men but also kind helpful men who respect her and support her drive for independence and just treatment as a woman. I found the story satisfying and think it rounds out well the saga of the “magical” Owens women.

As I mentioned earlier, the way the story unfolds is mesmerizing and I was fascinated by New England’s early history. It is clear the author researched the era’s mores and culture. At times, there were so many facts presented that the writing felt a bit instructional and somewhat less connected to Maria’s personal story.

Like Alice Hoffman’s other two books in the “magic” series, this story is ultimately about mothers and daughters, love and loyalty, and the seemingly never-ending quest by women for independence and equality. Whether it is 1664 or 2020, the effort continues.

This can be a stand-alone novel, but just for fun I reread “The Rules of Magic” and “Practical Magic.” I continue to be awed by Hoffman’s command of language and nuanced thought-provoking prose. I highly recommend this book to admirers of Alice Hoffman, and readers interested in herbs and natural remedies, as well as intelligently written women’s historical fiction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. It was a great pleasure to preview this wonderful novel.

Magic Lessons, written by Alice Hoffman is the perfect prequel to Practical Magic. Maria Owens is an amazing woman, full of courage and strength. She is also the Matriarch of the Owens Family from Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.

It is very easy to slide into the world that Hoffman creates in Magic Lessons. Religious people with cold hearts and judgement in their eyes are contrasted with the kindness that Maria learns from her adopted mother, Hannah Owens, since birth. In the 1600's, life is hard but there are times of joy and peace with the isolated life that Hannah and Maria live. We watch as Maria grows up, loses her mother, meets her biological mother and sets out on a journey far away to live her new life.

With Maria's maturity we see a woman who gets to reinvent herself time after time and a woman who falls deeply, madly in love with someone who becomes her whole world: her daughter, Faith. We get to watch Faith grow up and see all the reasons why she would be angry and have reasons to hate.

The reader also gets to travel along with Faith and her familiar, Keepe,r as she begins her journey of revenge living among the Puritans.

I love the writing- settings seem to pop off the page because the scenes are written with care and imagery that is simple and clear. What these women go through serve as the foundation for the generations to come. I want to continue to rave and rave, but all the spoilers are at the tips of my fingers and will leap off the page if I keep going. Needless to say, I so enjoyed Magic Lessons and love how it blends into the books that are next in the series!!!

Thank you NetGalley and Alice Hoffman for this temporary, digital advance review copy for me to read and enjoy. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.

All the stars for this magical book! As a dietitian, I feel like many of the “spells” are really nutrient based, medicinal, and/or somewhat psychosomatic. However, I loved the mystical overtones of this story about women’s rights in the 1600s, and about love and loss. Truly a beautiful book. Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

"Magic Lessons" is a compelling narrative that tugs readers back into the annals of the 1600's where Maria Owens moves between England, Curaçao, New York City, and Salem, Massachusetts practicing the Unnamed Arts and learning complex lessons about life, society, magic - and above all else - love.

Although the beginning slogs a little, it picks up considerably after she follows the man who seduces her to Salem to unravel some bitter realities about who he is. About what their time together has reaped. It's an action which sets off a chain of events that will ripple outward for years - not only for herself and her daughter, Faith, but also among those they meet along the way in addition to the many generations of Owens still to come.

Ultimately this is a book about both the blessed and the cursed sides of love. How it can either ruin a life or set someone free.

The thin line drawn between the two is what anchors the plot as well as the conflicts the characters face in a foreboding yet altogether bewitching kind of propulsion. It allows for themes like sympathy vs. antipathy, vengeance vs. forgiveness, and mother/daughter loyalty vs. betrayal to co-exist harmoniously.

Overall, an absorbing witch-tastic read that works as well as a standalone as it does as part of a larger series. Thanks to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley for the digital ARC. I can say that this is my best read so far this year! This is the BEST book of the entire Owen story. I found myself waking up in the middle of the night to read this book! This book goes all the way back to beginning of the Owen’s history and it is the most interesting story!! A must read and TWO THUMBS UP! Wow!!!

Having been a huge fan of Practical Magic followed by The Rules of Magic, I wasted no time in getting my hands on Magic Lessons, the newest offering by Alice Hoffman. I needed to learn more about Maria Owens and the curse that plagued the Owens women throughout centuries and didn’t mind the trip back in time to do so.
What I dove into was a wonderfully written tale of 3 generations of Owens women beginning with Hannah and closing with Faith. I truly enjoyed the history lessons the author spun into the tale which had me walking away from this novel with yet a deeper understanding of the early settlers, including the life at sea, illnesses of the period and remedies, lots of glorious, beautiful remedies! I recognized many of the naturopathic offerings as well as practices of “the Nameless Art”. I found myself attached to each familiar and loved them as my own. I also have this new desire to make some black soap and courage tea!
Magic Lessons is such a rich read filled with depth and brimming with the magic of the old ways (although it leans Wiccan with some reference to “left handed” magic). I highly recommend this latest offering to anyone that enjoys a book spun with magic and history.
Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my electronic ARC in exchange for my authentic and honest review. Many thanks to Alice Hoffman for continuing the story that has had so many of us enchanted with the story of the Owens women.

If you liked Rules of Magic and Practical Magic, you'll also love Magic Lessons. The legend of Maria Owens, already a familiar name to those of us who have read the rest of the series, comes to life in this beautiful and compelling story. This book felt a bit darker than the previous two, but with that it might be my favorite of the series so far! Sometimes prequels can feel forced or shoehorned in, but not this one; it has a beautiful flow that gives even more richness to both the sequels--and if you're anything like me, makes you want to read them both again immediately! This will definitely be a keep-and-reread for me.

Magic Lessons is where the Owens family story begins. Join Maria Owens on her quest to make a better life for herself and her daughter, Faith, during one of the most historic time periods in Salem, Massachusetts. As bloodline witches, the Owens women are enchanting and magical. People, especially men, are drawn to them. This is where the original Owens women curse derives. To love, or not love at all. Is it worth having the threatening death beetle at your door?

This was such a beautiful read. Hoffman does not disappoint with her magical writing. I first fell in love with the Practical Magic story when I saw the movie adaptation. However, I ended up reading the book as well as The Rules of Magic, and my adoration has only grown. Characters in the previous books mention Maria Owens enough to make the reader wonder about this matriarch, so when I found out this book was being published; I was beyond excited. It was a pleasure reading the back story on Maria and how she forged a powerful, and cursed, line of witches.

I ended up giving the book ⅘ stars solely on the fact that some parts were just too detailed. There were paragraphs I either skipped or skimmed because they were just descriptors. I recommend reading Magic Lessons to anyone. Whether you have read Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, or not. Hoffman is an artist and I look forward to reading more of her books.

I waited more than 20 years for this book. Upon reading Practical Magic in 1998, I kept thinking back to the origination of the Owens curse. When The Rules of Magic came out I, once again, found my curiosity returning to Maria. Magic Lessons gives a beautifully detailed foundation to all that followed. If you haven't read Practical Magic, I would suggest Magic Lessons first. By all means, read the (so far) trilogy for pure enjoyment and don't worry about the order. I'm now wondering if there will be more stories that will cover the centuries leading up to The Rules of Magic which, by the way will become a TV series on HBO Max. I can hardly wait!

I just finished this book and WOW! Alice Hoffman did it again. This origin story of the Owens’ curse is magnificent. I couldn’t put it down! Alice Hoffman has a magical way with words.

Maria Owen’s life story is courageous and moving. It has everything from love to revenge to adventure to thoughtful lessons on life. I didn’t know how much I needed this story until I read this book.

I won’t say I loved this one more than Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic because those two are hard to beat, but I will say this story was incredibly unique and 100% deepened my love for the Owens family.

I will definitely read this book again!

Alice Hoffman has written an origin story set in the 1600s for the Owens family from her Practical Magic series. Beware! Once you begin, you will be enthralled. Hannah Owens lives in an out of the way cottage in England when one night she finds an abandoned baby in the field near her home. The baby’s lovely blanket has the name Maria stitched in blue thread in the border. As the baby grows, it is soon obvious that the baby is gifted in the ways of magic just as Hannah is herself. Maria comes to love a man who abandons her. She seeks him out in Massachusetts and the Owens family curse evolves. Told during the Salem Witch Trials, the historical details are rich. Alice Hoffman is a master at weaving a story that casts a spell that makes you want to read all night.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

I have really enjoyed some of Alice Hoffman's work in the past, including The Rules of Magic, so I was excited to see another book about the Owens family. Hoffman's work is always so readable, and once I pick one of her books up I have a hard time putting it down. This was no different. I enjoyed reading about the origin of the Owenses and am always happy to read about strong women in history(real or fictional.) There were a few plot points that felt like they weren't fully thought out. (SPOILER ALERT: Wouldn't the hairpins have come to Maria black if they were already owned by a witch? And the when can and can't Maria "feel" Faith felt more convenient and less convincing.) But I could overlook those for a good story. This is overall a book I would recommend.

Thank you to the author and publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this title via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I am a big fan of Alice Hoffman and have read several of her books. Practical Magic is my favorite so I was excited to see that there was a prequel now available. It was so interesting to read the story of the Owens women and how they came to be cursed in love. Hoffman is a great storyteller and yet again, she told a creative, interesting, mystical story that fully grabbed my attention and kept me hooked from start to finish.

Absolutely spellbinding! This prequel showcases Hoffman’s extensive skills, prose, historical knowledge, and craft. I love to be so invested in a family of characters!

This novel explores a centuries-old curse to determine the source, as the reader follows the story of Maria Owens. Maria was accused of witchcraft in Salem. Maria is one of the amazing Owens characters featured in Hoffman’s other books, Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.

This novel begins with Maria Owens, in the 1600s, where she has been left to perish in a snowy field in rural England as an infant. This is not an unusual practice for the time. Under the care of Hannah Owens, Maria learns about the “Unnamed Arts.” Hannah quickly 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.

After 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. Thus, 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.

Another Book by Alice Hoffman showcasing her marvellous art of storytelling.

5.0+

I received a complimentary e-book copy of this book from Simon & Schuster through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to Magic Lessons, Simon & Schuster, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Absolutely BEAUTIFUL!

I tried my best to portion out this book in small bites, but I could not stop myself from finishing the last half of the book in less than 24 hours.

This book is the prequel to Practical Magic and part of a trilogy. I just have no words to describe how much I loved this book. It was just so powerful. amazing, and this word again: BEAUTIFUL.

This is the eighth or ninth book that I have read by Alice Hoffman and will be one of my absolute favorites. I already recommend THE DOVEKEEPERS for any time that I am asked for a book recommendation. But, this one may usurp my old standby.

Alice Hoffman writes so magically, lushly, and BEAUTIFULLY. I could feel myself in the book with all FIVE of my senses engaged. This book was just OUTSTANDING from the character development to the plotline - I could not find a single flaw in this book other than it ended!

HIGHLY RECOMMEND - especially if you like Alice Hoffman books, the PRACTICAL MAGIC trilogy, historical fiction, or just want to read a BEAUTIFUL book. "Beautiful" was the word that I used when I finished this book. Please read it!


HIGHLY RECOMMEND