Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
Thank you to the publishers, Simon and Schuster, and NetGalley for the pleasure of reading this book.
Hoffman had written this book, Magic Lessons, I believe, to lend clarity and understanding to the curse that follows the Owen women in her books Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. In Magic Lessons, we return to the very beginning. It begins in the 17th century Essex England with Hannah Owen and the abandoned child she finds and names Maria. Hannah practices right-hand magic. She is a healer, who lives in a lovely cottage deep in the woods, and she helps all those who come to her door in the dark of the night. It is a time of witch hunts in England as man is often afraid and hates what he cannot understand. Hannah recognizes that Maria has the gift and instructs the child all she knows. Hannah cautions Maria that to practice magic she must always remember that what she does will return threefold, to always love someone who will love you back and that every act depends on a payment. As time passes, she is visited her natural mother. Rebecca Lockland. Throughout time there are those that are afraid and destroy what they do not understand and that was Rebecca Lockland’s husband. It is he, in a rage, who nailed Hannah to the door and set fire to the cottage. After this tragedy Maria swears, she will never see another woman burn. Rebecca Lockland takes Maria to her manor and shows her left-hand magic. Rebecca is about self, her wants, her wishes and does not care what it takes to achieve them. The one and only thing that Rebecca cares about is a thief an actor and Maria’s father. He in turn cares about himself and Rebecca. The child, Maria is dispensable. Time, we find flows in a line and in circles and it twists and turns from Essex England to Dutch Curacao to Salem Massachusetts to Manhattan New York and back to Salem. There is much that happens in this novel, and much is revealed. Maria has a daughter who is father by the man from Salem, whom Maria though she loved and that he loved her in return. In Salem, the witch hunt frenzy is in full swing, and her daughter’s father is in the midst of all it as magistrate condemning witches to their death. Maria is tried as a witch and as she is about to hang, she invokes the Owen curse.
Alice Hoffman deftly creates a story that flows into the present and the books that came before and everything Owen’s is clearer. It is always important, as Maria discovers, to love is the only answer.
This review is also posted on Goodreads.

4.5 stars

Dark, melancholy, gruesome, gory, heartbreaking, joyful, heart-mending...i f any of those adjectives appeal to you then you will undoubtedly enjoy this 17th century witchy and wonderful novel, even if you have not read any other books from Hoffman's "Practical Magic" series. (Can you get any more witchy than historical Puritan New England? I think not.) You are guaranteed to have your faith in humanity utterly destroyed and then have it miraculously restored again. So what are you waiting for?

Another fantastic novel by Alice Hoffman, her books are beautifully written and the characters keep you coming back for more.

Alice Hoffman is one of my favourite writers and I was so pleased to get to read this book early. I loved this book. So much delicious magical realism and delightful, witty characters.

Magic Lessons exceeded all of my expectations, I was hooked from the very first page and didn’t want this story to end.! The story brings us back to the very beginning of the Owens bloodline, and details the life of the one and only, Maria Owens. I absolutely love Practical Magical Magic and The Rules of Magic, so I had very high hopes for this one and it did not disappoint. Traveling through different Countries, being introduced to incredible characters, and the descriptiveness was captivating. Like the other books in this series, the storytelling is bewitching. It was great to go back in time and learn more about the origins of the family. The book covers the Salem Witch trials, and the impact of all of the women who lost their lives, it was written so well and respectfully. Overall, if you love witchy books, I highly recommend it.

I really love the way Hoffman writes. Another great book of hers that I enjoyed. I’m not usually a fan of fantasy/ books about magic but this is definitely an exception.

This is from the series including Practical Magic and Rules of Magic about the Owens family. This story follows the life of Maria and where the curse of the Owens family all begins. It is my favourite one out of all of them!

This was poetic, and magical, and I'm finding it very hard to believe that I've spent so much of my life not knowing that Alice Hoffman's work exists. Having watched the Practical Magic movie for the first time just last year, and with this being a prequel, I assumed it would be safe to read without having actually read Practical Magic itself. I was largely right - I may have missed a few Easter eggs here and there, but I found the story quite easy to follow, and very pleasant.

I spent a long time reading this book (almost a full year), and read it in various ways. Starting off with an eBook, I switched to a physical book, then to an audiobook, and then back to an eBook to finish it off. Despite this roller coaster of an experience, I found it didn't actually diminish how much I thoroughly enjoyed this book, regardless in what format it was in. And despite having very little background on the book and series and what Sandra Bullock has told me, I still found it easy to connect to the story and her characters, which can only be seen as a success on the author's part.

I am always amazed when an author can make a story so compelling that whether you find it easy to follow along or not, it still makes you feel emotionally connected to it. In particular I was impressed with the way the author was able to make 400 years ago feel like it could be yesterday, but not in a way that she's modernized the past. Instead, she has made the past accessible, by simplifying the present. It's very clear to me that this book is written by someone who is incredibly comfortable in her writing and her expertise, and knowing what her readers want from her stories. Magic. Poetry. Love. Women supporting women. Resilience. All can be found in just one of Alice Hoffman's novels (and more, to be sure, but we are reviewing this one at the moment).

I will happily pick up another one of her books, and will enthusiastically pick up Practical Magic at some point in the future. Something about it just feels comforting, like coming home, like knowing that no matter what happens on the outside, on the inside everything remains the same. Cozy, and warm, and loving. 365 days never flew by so quickly, yet so comfortably slow.

One of my favourite books. Alice draws the reader in from the onset and the plot development is amazing as always.

I have been eagerly looking forward to reading Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman, as she is one of my favourite authors. Although I was generously given a digital ARC, I chose to listen to the unabridged audiobook excellently narrated by Sutton Foster.

Having read Practical Magic and Rules of Magic, I was familiar with the name Maria Owens and the curse that haunted her descendants. So, it was exciting to learn about the beginning of the Owens bloodline and to hear Maria Owens' life story.

In the 1600s Hannah Owens finds baby Maria lying in a basket in a snowy field in rural England. She raises her as her own and teaches her about the "Nameless Art" of healing, medicines, cures and herbal remedies. Hannah tells Maria that it is important to always love someone who will love you back.

Alice Hoffman magnificently writes characters that magically "step out of the pages" and invite you to join them in their well developed, sometimes scary, sometimes heartbreaking and sometimes heavenly, experiences and adventures in England, on the sea, in Dutch Curaçao, Salem in Massachusetts, and New York City.

I enjoyed reading this historical fiction with magic lessons set in the 17th century and can hardly wait to read the next book written by the talented Alice Hoffman.

*Huge thanks to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, and Alice Hoffman for providing me with a digital ARC of this book and giving me the wonderful opportunity to read this book and write a review. The thoughts expressed are my own.
Also., thanks to Annapolis Valley Regional Library and the librarians, who manage, organize and keep the libraries running, for the loan of the unabridged audiobook that I listened to.
#MagicLessons
#NetGalley
Posted on Goodreads

At this point I am fully invested in the Owens family, I adore this family, and this world that Alice Hoffman has created and does such a wonderful job of immersing us in each and every book. This being the prequel to the prequel of her original Practical Magic, I wasn't sure how well she would be able to connect so many generations cohesively and enjoyably, but she certainly did. I loved learning the origins of this family, their magic, and also their notorious curse. I am so thankful for this prequel because these are the kind of books I always long for, I love origin stories, I love to know how things came to be and why the future played out the way that it did.
This book however was much darker, more emotional, and heavy than the previous and I think it was so necessary and so well done.
Alice Hoffman always delivers witchy perfection, Magic Lessons is no exception to that.

Give me an Alice Hoffman book that I don't like, I dare you. She knows magic and she writes with lyrical atmospheric prose that captures the reader upon just opening the cover. There is always a hint (if not based almost entirely) of historic fiction that proves her intimate knowledge on the subject which offers clear insight into her stories.

Magic Lessons is a sort of prequel to Practical Magic and Rules of Magic. It follows the life of Maria Owens and of the Salem witch trials. You would think as Maria ends up in Salem, Massachusetts that the story would be quite predictable. However, it is with ease and possibly magic itself, that Hoffman takes the story to compelling new angles that offer depth and plausibility to the tale. Always the storyteller, Alice Hoffman delivers a beautiful new novel that can enchant any newcomer to the trilogy.

Absolutely loved this book!! I just loved the practical magic series. I highly recommend reading the whole series.

Magic Lessons is a prequel to Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman and it travels back in time to the 1600's when the Owen's women story began. This story follows Maria Owens who was abandoned by her birth mother as an infant and raised be a healer woman named Hannah Owens in the English woods. It was Hannah that first showed Maria the craft and when she dies Maria inherits her Grimoire. Maria is briefly reunited with her mother before setting off for the new world and supposedly less dangerous shores for a girl like her. Her travels take her to the Caribbean, Boston and eventually Salem. There Maria grows into her power and understands that Love maybe the one things she can't make sense of. She ends up setting into motion the Owen's story, the curse to all men who love an Owen's woman and their legacy in Salem and New York. This sets scene for Practical magic and the Rules of Magic.
I loved this book. It was magical, beautifully written and a wonderful addition to the Owen's story.

This is the charming and well-written foundation for the rest of the series so many of us were introduced to through the movie Practical Magic. That movie, and the books that preceded it opened my eyes in ways I cannot begin to go into here.
But this book is a must-read if you enjoyed the movie, or the other books, or if you know anyone that did.

Alice Hoffman is a gifted writer that sucks her readers in and takes them on a wonderful adventure through her words.

"Literary magic is the most powerful." - Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

Alice Hoffman is one of my favourite authors so I was pleased to receive an e-ARC of Magic Lessons from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada.

This is the prequel to The Rules of Magic and Practical Magic. I have not read either of those yet and am happy to have started with this one. Now I want to read the rest and I believe this one set the other two up.

This story begins in the mid-1600s when Maria is an abandoned baby, found by Hannah Owens. As Maria grows up, Hannah realizes that Maria has a special gift as a seer. As Maria witnesses all of the women secretly seeking help from Hannah, Maria discerns that most of the women were seeking help for their problems with love. Because of this, Maria vows to never let love rule her life.

When Rebecca sees real love through her birth mother and father, she still doesn't believe that it exists for her. Eventually, Maria gives birth to her daughter, a beautiful, red-headed girl named Faith. Faith also vows to never fall in love.

This story brings us from England to Curacao to Massachusetts to New York. It's a story of magical spells, potions, curses and witch trials. It is also a story of motherhood and the power of love.

Hoffman creates wonderful characters, women who have strength, courage and the ability to harness the power within them. Even the animals, Cadin and Keeper are real in my imagination. The writing is magical itself and casts a spell on the reader to enter into this mystical story.

Looking forward to the rest of the series.

Magic Lessons
5/5 ⭐️

Thank you to @netgalley & @simonschusterca for allowing me to have an early release copy! I was a bit delayed with my TBR!

My witch obsession first started with TGIF nights watching Sabrina the Teenage Witch then it was Charmed then Harry Potter. Favourite AHS season? The Coven of course so while reading this I had to have Fleetwood & Stevie playing in the background.

I discovered the Rules of Magic earlier this year so when I seen another Alice Hoffman release coming with the same storyline it immediately went on the witch list, get it? Corny? Yes.

This one left me with so many topics to further delve into: learn some Dutch like I’ve been saying I will, study the Spanish Inquisition because I sadly know nothing about it, and look more into Salem history so that when I can travel again I’ll go there! I also loved all the New York references, such as why Wall Street is called Wall Street.

Just like with, Rules of Magic, it was heavily detailed and beautifully written. I really enjoyed knowing more of the Owens story and understanding why and how they came to do certain things, such as the Chocolate Tipsy Cake 😂

#AliceHoffman #MagicLessons #RulesofMagic #PracticalMagic #witches #witchyreads #salem #NYC #books #bookish #booksofig #booksofinstagram #nsbookstagrammer #bookstagram #bookworm #currentlyreading #readeveryday #tbr #booknerd

Long a fan of Alice Hoffman, this book does not disappoint, tracing the beginnings of the line of Owens women, whom we meet in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. Excellent and well worth reading!

Magic Lessons takes us back to the 1600’s and the cause to the Owen families curse. We follow Maria Owens from a baby being found in a field to her heading to fateful Massachusetts. Magic Lessons isn’t just the magic that Maria and her descendants have but the magic of family and love. Hoffman knows how to write a simply magical book and I loved all the remedies that were put in. Overall, Magic Lessons is not you typical witchy read its full of wonder and love. But the witches also help.

This is an outstanding book filled with magic, imagination, and fun. I often worry about prequel stories. Either the story drags because I already know what's to come in later books or the character development feels off. That's not the case with Alice Hoffman's Magic Lessons. It captures the heart of Practical Magic and adds to the story.

It's one of those books that you just don't want to put down. The characters are well-crafted, and it feels like we truly get to know them. Connections between characters are believable and intriguing.

This also isn't just a book about magic or family. It touches on injustice and fear. There are elements of real history woven into the tale that doesn't distract from the overall story told.

It's definitely one for Practical Magic fans, but also something for those looking to start a new fantasy tale.

It’s hit or miss for me with Alice Hoffman. And Practical Magic was a miss. I really couldn’t get into all the magic in a contemporary setting. So I was pretty nervous about reading Magic Lessons, but it was a buddy read and I was willing to give it a try.

I’m glad I did. It took me a while, but around a third of the way in, I realized that I was hooked... I think magic works better for me if it’s in the past. Regardless, I really liked both the story and the historical setting. The story starts in the mid-1600s in England and moves to the end of the century through Curaçao and then to the United States - including Salem - at a time when witches were persecuted. The story focuses on Maria Owens, who is born with special powers and an unusual independent streak. There’s some love, lots of heartbreak, adventure, courage, complicated parent-child relations, politics, a lovely crow and lots of magical spells. In the hands of a different writer, this would not have worked for me. But Hoffman does such a good job of creating great characters and a complex plot, that I ended up feeling enchanted by this one.

Thanks to Netgalley and Edelweiss for giving me access to advance copies. And I’m so glad to have read this one with my reading buddies Diane and Angela — I don’t think I would have read it otherwise and it was lovely as always to read together.