As a huge Alice Hoffman fan and her magical realism storytelling, I had high expectations for this prequel to one of my all-time favorite books, Practical Magic. The prequel did not disappoint. It traces Maria Owens, the matriarch of the Owens family back to the 1600's, from her earliest years in England, to a young indentured servant in Curacao, to Massachusetts before and during the Salem witch trials, along with a stint as a young woman in Manhattan. The reader comes to understand the power struggles for women who are discouraged from reading and writing - skills that threaten to bring about any sort of independent ideas, though even in this backward thinking era, we find women with the inherent "smarts" to prevail in the most harrowing circumstances. While clearly there is a historical fiction thread to this story with the backdrop of the Salem witch trials, the most powerful theme for me was the unshakable bond between mothers and daughters that shapes a family across generations. This is truly a timeless story - with or without the magic spells - showing how love binds the Owens women together across centuries. So beautifully written, this prequel is a magical treasure to savor! Many thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. Hands down, my favorite novel this year!

Maria was just a newborn when her mother abandoned her at a clearing in the forest near Hannah Owens’ hut. Hannah was taken with the baby and brought her up as her daughter. Hannah was a healer with the gift of sight, and Maria grew up knowing that she, too, was special in that way. Hannah’s death eleven years after Maria’s arrival at her door, was rather inevitable, for she could never refuse a woman in need, and it was precisely one who brought death with her. Maria went to live with her biological mother for a while—she was also born with “the sight”—and complemented Hannah’s teachings with some “dark arts teachings” of her own. Upon parting from her mother, Maria had been sold to indenture servitude in the island of Curacao where she would remain until she was sixteen, when, following her heart, or what passed by love at the time, she would end up in the fledging village of Salem, Massachusetts, and her life would change in irrevocable ways.

I haven’t read Practical Magic or its prequel, The Rules of Magic, to which Magic Lessons is also a prequel, so I had to base my judgment on the merits of this novel alone. Magic Lessons is mostly a narrative, well written, as expected from an author at the peak of her writing prowess, though a bit repetitive in parts. I expected the novel to be rather predictable, as Maria Owens ended up in Salem, Massachusetts, so it was inevitable to associate the plot with Salem’s witch trials, and there was a lot of that, but luckily enough Alice Hoffman avoided that pitfall by plunging the story in interesting new directions that gave it depth and plausibility.

Interestingly, I have become keen on reading Practical Magic and its prequel, so I’ll be reading more about the Owens family in the future.

Disclaimer: I received from the publisher a free e-book via Netgalley in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed the historical fiction aspect of the book, but the plot itself moved too slowly and there was very little dialogue that would allow the reader to connect with the characters.

A slow but intriguing first half builds to a faster-paced second half in this ultimately fulfilling novel of witchcraft, womanhood, and heterosexuality.

Ethereal feeling and it tugs on the heart strings. It's so nice to go back to the origins of the Owens sisters.
A truly Magical book. Thank you for the chance to read this book in advance. This book will be a purchase for the public library.

During the time of Covid-19, though I'm an avid reader, nothing has gripped me until this beautifully-written story of love, magic, and women finding their power.

I am a huge fan of Ms. Hoffman's books about the Owens family, and this story, through its rich and poetic storytelling, filled in the world with the richness of a lush garden. In a way, the entire story felt like a garden taking us from the seeds of Maria Owen's beginning, to fullness, color, and bloom.

The story has its dark moments as well, there is loss, deception, and injustice. But in Maria Owens, we have a character to root for. She is a woman who never changes who she is, yet she changes the world.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book.

Oh my! If you liked Practical Magic or The Rules of Magic then this is the very beginning of the Owens line of witches. As per normal, Alice Hoffman did a wonderful job portraying her characters and the story line is superb. I could barely put it down. As I said before this book starts the whole Owens line and explains why they are love cursed and why they are witches.

As a lover of witchcraft and stories about them this one fulfilled all my hopes. I have enjoyed The Rules of Magic and Practical Magic so I was not surprised that I enjoyed this one. The love that Maria followed only to be abandoned with her daughter. The life they had to make for themselves, everything they went through made them the women and witches they were. You even come to realize that the curse was not meant the way that future books tell it and that Maria comes to regret the curse but it is one thing that can not be reversed and that brings emotions into the reading.

The love between Maria and her daughter, Faith, is amazing. Though Faith goes into the dark magic, Maria is there to help her realize that she does not need to use the dark magic but at the same time I do not blame her one bit. For the abuse and betrayal Faith went through as a child in Salem left a dark hole in her that she tried to fill.

With the characters, story line, and the elements that Alice Hoffman always manages to put into her books, this one is no different. I recommend you read this one. It does not matter if you have read the Owens book in order or out of order they can stand on their own.

I am a huge fan of Practical Magic,

Seeing how it all started was really wonderful.
Alice Hoffman has such a way with words and her writing is impeccable.

To know where Maria came from, where she learned everything and how she was able to survive in such dire circumstances was a treat.

It's no wonder that Maria and the entire family has such strength.

If you are a fan of Alice Hoffman and/or Practical Magic - it's a must read.

Having previously read The Rules of Magic and Practical Magic, I was thrilled to be given the opportunity to read and review Alice Hoffman’s newest book, Magic lessons.

In Magic Lessons, we learn the origin of the Owens family. Abandoned as a baby in a snowy field in Essex County, England, Maria is raised by Hannah Owens and is taught the Unnamed Arts and is cautioned to do no harm and only love those who will love you back.

A portrait of Salem, MA in the 1600’s during the historical witch trials, it is a story of betrayal and finding true love. Maria’s love for her daughter, Faith, takes her to Manhattan in search of her where she is being hidden. In New York Maria is able to practice the Unnamed Art with more license and continues to help countless women. Faith's time in captivity, however, entices her to the dark side of the art as she seeks revenge on her father. Love ultimately conquers all in the end and it is a very satisfying read.

Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for providing this ARC in return for an honest review. This is a prequel to the author’s 1995 best seller Practical Magic, which became a 1998 film of the same name. Magic Lessons tells the story of Maria, who was rescued in a field in the 1600s as an infant and reared by Hannah Owens.. Maria watched as Hannah was killed by villagers and her house burned because they feared her special gifts of magic and healing. After escaping with her familiar (a crow) to the Caribbean, Maria further developed her own witchcraft and herbal healing abilities, especially in the area of love. She worked as a housemaid in a large home and met a wealthy man visiting from North America. Soon after he left she found herself pregnant and followed him to Essex, Massachusetts. The story continues with further adventures of Maria and her daughter Faith.

Loved this book. Explains so much more about this family's story. Alice Hoffman is a beautiful writer. I will read anything she puts out. This book is a must read for anyone who has read Practical Magic.

This is an origins prequel to Practical Magic, and while the character development is unforgettable, the going was slow, with a lot of magical grimoire recipes and dark imagery. I want to give it 5 stars, because it makes me want to go back and read Practical Magic again, as well as her other early work, but in truth 4.5 stars because of "filler" . I think there are few authors that can match Hoffman, not just for magical realism, but for character, and story development that draw you into the dream. To be fair, it is hard to set a witch story in Salem in the 1600's without seeming trite, and Hoffman manages to do that, by making the whole history part of the action, but not central to the story. Read it knowing you will want to go back to her other books, and eagerly await another.

Sorry to say in the distinct minority. 3.5, not rounding up. I like Alice Hoffman, but this never really grabbed me and I was very disappointed. That said, quite readable. And I enjoyed the locales in the 1680--Curacao, Salem, New York.

The setting: the prequel to Practical Magic. Maria Owens, abandoned in the English countryside by her birth mother, is raised by Hannah Owens. Hannah dies and Maria leaves for Curacao where she meets and falls in love with John Hathorne [who abandons her], with whom she has an out of wedlock child. Maria leaves for America with her daughter, Faith, seeking Hathorne and en route, nurses Samuel Dias back to health. She takes with her Hannah's Grimoire, a magic book of enchanments.

The thread of the book is love as Hannah has said: "Always love someone who will love you back."

Maria realizes shortly after her birth that Faith has magical talents, and is also marked as such with a physical sign on her skin. And so it begins.

A story of magic, family, love, injustice, superstition, mysticism, and betrayal, Female bonding. Familiars [I really liked stories/loya[ty of Cadin, Maria's crow/familiar, and Keeper, Faith's wolf familiar.] Little things I liked: the magical elements of various teas and potions--of natural substances [herbs]--cures for physical and emotional ailments--and their names: Courage Tea, True to Me Tea, Frustration Tea, Fever Tea, and so on.

I found the story of the Salem witches/trials/setting, interesting and enjoyed those story developments. But the book always felt flat to me and I was never as engaged as I thought I would/should be.

And as despicable as John Hathorne was, there were a few good men--Abraham and Samuel Dias, Jack Finney, and Dr. Joost van der Berg.

Another detraction [no spoiler from me, though] too neat an ending,

Something I learned: Salem [Massachusetts] was named after the Hebrew word for peace, shalom!

So, if you're a fan, read it. It's easy and you may find it much more compelling than I did.

Love Alice Hoffman!! Like most fans, I began enjoying her work with Practical Magic & was so excited to read Magic Lesson. Alice Hoffman did not disappoint!! Enjoyed learning more about the martiarch "Maria Owens"
Highly recommend to anyone who enjoyed Practical Magic!!

This is the story I had been waiting for! It gives a fabulous backstory to the books that follow but also reads as a complete tale on its own. I LOVED it.

I am a big fan of Alice Hoffman. I am always intrigued by the subject matter that she presents. With this book, I was hooked from the very beginning. I love her writing style. In this book, she tackles the subject of witches in early America from the point of view of the women who are being accused. It was fascinating. So much to think about!

Alice Hoffman continues to capture her readers with another brilliant book! If you loved Practical Magic and Rule of Magic, you will be blown away by this pre-prequel! Here is a story that weaves the history of witch trials and murders with the beginning of the Owens family tree. Hannah, whose character is not long in the story, maintains a presence throughout the story with the baby she rescued from a field on a cold snowy day. To know the history of the Owens family, you have to know the history of Hannah. The baby, Maria, learns that there are two kinds of people in this world-- those who take what they want and those that give what they know. Even after meeting her true parents, Maria chooses to emulate the goodness and knowledge of Hannah. The story follows Maria through her journeys both as a practicer of the "Unnamed Arts" and as a young woman making her way in the world. The combination of these two leads to a curse that follows the Owens women through history. I received an advanced reader copy of this title through NetGalley.

Alice Hoffman is one of my favorite writers, so I was delighted to receive a copy of Magic Lessons. I've read both Practical Magic and. The Rules of Magic, so I was excited to hear more about the foundations of the Owens family.

This book did not disappoint. It mixes witchcraft with American history. I highly recommend this one, as well as the other books in the trilogy.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts are my own.

As a long-time Hoffman fan, I was thrilled to receive an ARC of <i>Magic Lessons</i>, which is the original story of the Owens family bloodline, made famous in both <i>Practical Magic</i> and <i>The Rules is Magic</i>. And again, Hoffman DELIVERS. I was swept up into the novel immediately with the prologue, where Hoffman makes you feel all your feelings and makes the reader remember why she is the bewitching Queen.

Beginning with the birth of Maria Owens, a newborn who was found abandoned in a English field by Hannah Owens, our story opens up in the 1600’s. Hannah raises Maria as her own, knowing the girl is touched with the sight and teaching her the “Unnamed Arts”. Hannah teaches Maria a valuable lesson, that she carries with her in her heart and on her journey throughout this novel: Always love someone who will love you back.

We follow Maria’s journey, through England, motherhood, Boston, Salem, New York and beyond. We learn the history of the original Owens matriarch and the true curse on the men that come to love the Owens women and why it came to be. We also learn why and how, in the end Maria changes her course and mind.

“Do as you will but harm no one.
What you give will be be returned to you threefold.
Fall in love whenever you can”

I couldn’t love this book any more. The start was slow, but this was the perfect beginning, the perfect story, giving all of the answers and questions to fans of the Owens women. It was heartbreaking and gut-punching at times, but written in Hoffman’s particular prose, it was also light and wonderful and just as you’ve come to expect. <i>Magic Lessons</i> is the ideal novel to begin your journey all over again or for the first time, if you haven’t read the series.

I received a free e-ARC of this book from Netgalley.

I've been a fan of Alice Hoffman for a long time. She writes with such beautiful descriptive prose that I am transported into her books. Her characters in Magic Lessons are strong, beautiful women who despite their powers, are still very human. The characters are beautifully-developed.
I enjoyed this book greatly as a stand-alone without even connecting it to Practical Magic.