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Magic Lessons: Book #1 of the Practical Magic Series
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, 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.
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 “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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Community Reviews
Originally reviewed on Cyn's Workshop
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.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
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.
See more reviews at Cyn's Workshop and follow me on Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | Spotify Podcast | YouTube | BookBub | Goodreads+ | LinkedIn
It took me some time to get through the first 3 chapters. I was afraid at first it was not a book for me, but then I fell in love with the book. It may have been the development of character backstory that may have been too much for me at first but then the book bloomed and I was enthralled with all of the characters. There were times I didn’t want to put the book down but at others had to because my heart was overwhelmed.
As a devotee of the Practical Magic books, I am of course giving this five stars. In this book, we learn the story of Maria, Owen's ancestor from the Old Country who came to America in the 1600s to find a man she mistakenly thought she was fated to love. Brew your courage tea and hunker down for another beautiful book by Alice Hoffman.
I could not put this book down! The perfect balance between magic and history, both well-researched, the story of Maria Owens, her mother, her foster mother, her daughter, and the men in her life grabbed me from page one. Highly recommend.
Not sure what to make of this, while I liked the free-writing style I found the book very sluggish to get through. A lot of it just seemed cliche, even though the writing gave it life. Some of the descriptions of the scenes are unique, and I find the characters to be realistic. It was just a slug and it took me so long, I was determined to read it through and absorb every detail.
It definitely deserves its 3 stars.
It definitely deserves its 3 stars.
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