In this “ bewitching” (The New York Times Book Review) novel that traces a centuries-old curse to its source, beloved author Alice Hoffman unveils the story of Maria Owens, accused of witchcraft in Salem, and matriarch of a line of the amazing Owens women and men featured in Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic.Where does the story of the Owens bloodline begin? With Maria Owens, in the 1600s, … 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 “Nameless 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 is a “heartbreaking and heart-healing” (BookPage) celebration of life and love and a showcase of Alice Hoffman’s masterful storytelling.
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This is a prequel to Hoffman’s classic witchy tale, PRACTICAL MAGIC, but even if you haven’t read that book or seen the movie, this stands alone beautifully. Set in the 17th century, it delves into the tale of Maria Owens and, eventually, her daughter, Faith, as they embark on a journey from England to Curaçao to Salem and New York. Hoffman is a great storyteller with a real gift for capturing both homely details and the complicated workings of the human heart. Within its pages you will find a love story (and a revenge story), all the magic you could want, and glorious period detail. Hoffman takes witches seriously, as well as the relationships between mothers and daughters. “This was true magic,” Hoffman writes, “the making and unmaking of the world with paper and ink.” Given that, you will wonder if Hoffman is herself a wizard after finishing this satisfying, alluring tale.
Witches, curses, the Salem trials and most of all the Owens family starting with Marie!
It cant get better than that.
You follow Marie’s journey as she is born into the sisterhood of magic , her journey and the birth of her daughter.
There are rules to magic, potions and spells and when they get broken you can only blame yourself as it will come back to get you.
So many strong women in this book that lived through a horrific time in Salem .
There is so much more to this book than that though.
I thoroughly enjoyed it , makes me want to go back and read the other books in the series.
Well done!
Thanks to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster Canada, Simon and Schuster for a bewitching read that I got lost in.
Practical Magic is a yearly rewatch for me, but the book is even better. So when I saw that Alice Hoffman had written a book giving us a glimpse into the first Owens witch, I could hardly wait. Magic Lessons does a superb job combining a grimoire with the emotional characters and wonderful storytelling that Hoffman is so well known for.
Magic Lessons celebrates women even with all of the pain, suffering, and terror they face in a patriarchal world. It shows how even those with a good heart can be led astray, but there is hope of coming out a better person. Hoffman shines with her well developed characters and lessons in magic seamlessly weaved into the story.
If you enjoy Practical Magic (the book or the movie), you’ll want to read Magic Lessons and Rules of Magic, which is the prequel to Practical Magic. All three books have been fantastic reads and I will definitely read the next book Hoffman writes about the Owens family.
I took my time wth this book, savoring each page, not rushing because I knew I would want it to go on as long as possible. It seems that everyone knows and loves Practical Magic, both the movie and the book. Next came The Rules of Magic, which takes place prior to the beloved story. It is a deeper loo at the personalities of the well known aunts, and shares some of the rules they had to learn.
Now we go back in time once again, all the way to the beginning, back to a time where being accused of witchcraft easily means death – and not an easy death! We learn about historical philosophy, the thoughts of the general populace, how love can be a blessing or, more often, a curse. Why the Owens descendants should avoid love, for more reasons than just emotional pain.
We learn how the significance of RED, hair and shoes or boots. We feel the pain of betrayal and abandonment and never being included. Being different or even unknown means not to be trusted and included.
For some, the book may seem to start slowly, a bit disparingly dark. Stay with it. You will take these women (and children) into your heart and find you can relate to their experiences.
Even if you don’t, this is a wonderful story.
This history of the Owens family got off to a slow start for me. I found the first third to be dark and dreary and I struggled a bit, but it is also reflective of the history of this time.
It’s 1664 and an infant is left at Hannah Owens doorstep with nothing but a blanket stitched with blue thread. Hannah takes the child, Maria, to raise as her own daughter. Hannah has a gift and knows many cures and potions which she has discovered through use of the natural world around her. She is a kindly woman and many women come to her for cures for what ail their body and heart. As Maria grows she listens to Hannah and learns.
We travel through Maria’s life as she eventually travels to Curacao. There she meets a man and falls in love but he eventually leaves her. We follow her as she returns to Boston trying to find this man, the father of her infant daughter, Faith.
There is lots of history covered here including the plague and the Salem witch trials. Maria suffers a loss like no other, but she finds a rock in Samuel. “Maria was more magic than mortal, but even a witch can be changed by sorrow. Nothing would ever be the same, but Hannah had taught her that there were times, rare as they were, when what was done could be undone.”
I liked the second half of the book much more. We follow young Faith who has many trials to overcome. We are introduced to the dark side of magic and what can happen when a curse goes wrong!
I enjoyed watching Faith grow from an angry teen to a woman who wanted to find her roots, which she does. She learns from her mother the first rule of magic “Do as you will, but harm no one. What you give will be returned to you threefold.”
Maria is constantly changing and finally realizes that to love is the best gift of all. She opens herself up to loving Samuel and her life changes.
As always Ms. Hoffman’s writing is exceptional. This book doesn’t have the humor that I found in parts of “The Rules of Magic”, but it is, as stated, a history of the Owens family.
I never know what I will find behind the covers of an Alice Hoffman book, but it is always something original, thought provoking and beautifully written.
I can recommend this book to lovers of the Owens family and all it’s stories. I can also assure you that you will never look at a black beetle the same way again!!!!!!
I received an ARC of this novel from the author through Edelweiss.
This novel is set to publish on October 6, 2020
There is quite a bit of information packed into this delightful book. It follows Marie Owens life from birth into adulthood. The reader gets a better understanding of why the Owens family is cursed. Marie Owens had a very tragic life full of ups and downs. One can understand why she became so bitter toward men. The characters are relatable and well written. The author obviously did a great deal of research for this book. The timeline works great and the descriptions of Salem and the events that transpire are right on level for that time period.
If you like books with strong female leads, this is your type of book. Marie and her daughter, Faith, remain true to themselves and never back down when facing adversity. Faith is extremely stubborn and did upset me a few times. There is a period of time when Marie and Faith are separated and Faith never seems to get over it, even though they were separated for a good reason.
The author also throws in some interesting information about herbs and teas and what they are used for. It’s like getting a look into Marie’s Grimoire.
(Advanced Readers Copy courtesy of NetGalley)
Rating:
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.
If you are a Practical Magic fan and have always wondered about Maria Owens’ story, you no longer have to wait. Alice Hoffman has graced us with another amazing story about the Owens’ women starting with the very first one.
Magic Lessons begins when Maria is left in a snowy field as a newborn and Hannah Owens finds her and takes her into her cottage. She raises the girl as her own, teaching her the art of magic. Tragedy marks Maria as a young girl many times, leaving her vulnerable and alone. But when she falls in love with a man who makes promises he doesn’t keep; Maria places the curse that will follow the Owens’ women for centuries.
Magic Lessons has everything you’d expect from a novel by Alice Hoffman. Maria’s story is filled with all you’d expect and so much more. It’s a beautifully written tale that will satisfy your desire for the complete story of the Owens’ women. Another wonderful novel by the talented Alice Hoffman.
This is a spellbinding and interesting read. It is filled with devious characters and enlightened characters that tell a captivating story of love, betrayal, and danger.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Magic Lessons, the prequel to Practical Magic, goes back to Maria Owens, exploring her side of the story and the origin of the curse she placed on love with her family.
The Thing About Love…
In Magic Lessons, fans of Practical Magic are learning the origins of the family matriarch Maria Owens and the curse of love on their family. However, love is complicated, sometimes short and heartbreaking, sometimes lasting a lifetime. For Maria Owens, she loved the wrong man, and on her journey to find him, she discovers she never really knew him.
However, her story begins before that, with her abandoned in the forest because of love only to be found by Hannah Owens, who raises her as her own and teaches her the Unnamed Art. When Maria sees love betraying her dearest Hannah, she vows never to fall in love. However, that is easier said than done.
Love is complicated and comes in many forms, and that is what I loved most about this novel. Hoffman follows Hannah, then Maria, then Faith on their different journeys of love. Of course, loving someone when you are young is different from loving someone when you are older, but that does not mean it lacks value or substance. Instead, Hoffman goes into depth with the character narratives to explore love, both the good and the bad, young love and beyond, making for a compelling read.
Hoffman explores the complexities of love, the various ways it manifests, and how it can corrupt, manipulate, and heal.
Slow and Steady…
Hoffman’s expert storytelling also focuses on building up the tension and character dynamics. The story is a historical one in many ways. Taking place during the time of the witch hysteria that cost so many people their lives, the reader sees New England come alive during this. From Essex County England to Essex County in Massachusetts, the reader is drawn down the old roads and place settings that have become staples in society.
It is beautiful to see the world come alive through Hoffman’s imagination. The historical context layers the story, creating a good foundation for the reader to ground themselves into.
It moves at a slow and steady pace that gives the reader time to get to know the characters, to see them evolve and grow.
Final Thoughts
In Magic Lessons, we follow the Owen women on a magical journey. It is not flashy, full of wands and spells, but intent, more attuned to the natural practice of real like Wiccans. It is beautiful how it follows the women through their lives with lyrical prose that captures the reader’s attention. Hoffman is concise in her storytelling but allows readers to feel the characters’ feelings, giving us depth and compelling characters.
As a huge fan of Practical Magic, I dove headfirst into this prequel and it did not disappoint. The book spans many years, telling the life story of Maria Owens. So much is covered in this book, making so many aspects of the other stories in this realm come together, too. Readers even learn how the Owens mansion came to be! It’s sad and magical and inspiring and damn near perfect. Highly recommend this bewitching read.
Great book but ending was abrupt tidy up.
Great story from the author of Practical Magic. A beautiful but sad story of love, adventure and hard times.
Another Hoffman wonderful read and a great prologue to Practical Magic.
This book surpassed my expectations. I loved it! I certainly enjoyed it more than Practical Magic, but this book was more to my tastes, as it’s historical fiction. Also, you can really tell how Alice Hoffman’s craft and talent has improved since writing Practical Magic.
Every setting depicted in this book was beautiful and wonderfully written. I so enjoyed reading about Maria and her journey, and, eventually, Faith’s journey. The supporting characters really added to the book as well.
This book has it all: romance, tragedy, magic, history, beautiful locations and well-rounded and strong female protagonists. I would highly recommend, even as a stand alone.
I always thought The Dovekeepers would be my favorite Alice Hoffman novel, but I think Magic Lessons might be better.
This is the first book I have read by Alice Hoffman, but it won’t be the last. Her writing is absolutely mesmerizing. If there is a writer who is better, please let me know. Don’t know who could top her for such beautiful prose. So why 4 stars you might ask? The only reason is one of my own failing. There were a few instances when I just grew a bit weary and wanted to put this book down and move on, but I could not. I had to find out what happened to Maria, had too much emotion involved in wanting to make sure she survived. Thank you Alice Hoffman for writing such an outstanding novel.
An intriguing book to start them all!
Here we follow Hannah Owens, Maria Owens, Faith Owens, John Hathorne, and Samuel. Yes, a multi-character tale to open the world and the magic in it, except I am saddened that this story is written with lists and winded backstories. So many times I was pulled out of scenes for pages at a time, making me forget what is happening until I am thrown back in. If it weren’t for the distractions, this book would be perfect.
Looking forward to the rest of the series to see how the future characters develop.
***UPDATE 2021***
It is funny how a book stays with you. I wish I had not rushed this book, but regardless, it has stayed with for almost a full year. I think of this book often [and wonder just HOW I love this but hated Practical Magic and Rules of Magic [which I didn’t even finish because…meh] and how mesmerizing and lush and gorgeous it was.
Read 10.9.2020
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.
This is one historical novel in a four book series by the brilliant author Alice Hoffman and, of course, I started by researching the recommended order for reading the series.
A quote from Alice Hoffman, posted on her Website:
Practical Magic Series
“I’m often asked about the order in which you should read the books in the Practical Magic series. It’s your choice! You can read them in the order they were written (Practical Magic, The Rules of Magic, Magic Lessons, The Book of Magic) or you can read them in chronological order (Magic Lessons, The Rules of Magic, Practical Magic, The Book of Magic). It’s up to you!”
As a left brained person (I prefer things linearly), I opted for chronological order. So, in my head, this is the first book in the series and I will now go on to read the rest. Because this one, I just LOVED!
On the island of Curacao, Maria grows up under the loving care of Hannah Owens — not her birth mother, but a single woman known locally for her successful herbal-based cures for all sorts of ailments, affecting both body and mind. Immediately, Hannah recognizes a kindred spirit in Maria who possesses her own unique gifts–both for healing and for seeing the future. Unfortunately, it’s the 1600s and independent women, living alone, who speak their minds and offer cures are feared by many (mostly men), and all too often wind up accused of witchcraft.
And there’s the set-up for MAGIC LESSONS, a story that travels from Curacao to Boston, Salem, and New York City, incorporating the witch trials of this era. Passion, betrayal, revenge, and love all play a role as Hoffman explores the lives of women during this period of American history. And ponders questions that are forever part of the human story: what is love, what happens to those who do evil, is revenge ever satisfying, and just how SHOULD people use their special gifts?
MAGIC LESSONS is also a page turner, unpredictable to the end, and a sheer delight to read!
This is a great beginning to the Practical Magic series. The story line contains a great mixture of reality, magic, and history. There are alluring lessons in seeking love, coping with struggles of everyday life, and dealing with loss. The characters are strong and resilient. The beginning was a little slower than the author’s other books I’ve read, but the middle picked up speed. The ending was fantastic and more of the Alice Hoffman style I’m accustomed to and as always, leaving you wanting more. Well done.