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Practical Magic: 25th Anniversary Edition (The Practical Magic Series)

*25th Anniversary Edition*—with an Introduction by the Author!

The Owens sisters confront the challenges of life and love in this bewitching novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Rules of Magic, Magic Lessons, and The Book of Magic.


For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally have endured that fate as well: as children, the sisters were forever outsiders, taunted, talked about, pointed at. Their elderly aunts almost seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, with their musty house and their exotic concoctions and their crowd of black cats. But all Gillian and Sally wanted was to escape. One will do so by marrying, the other by running away. But the bonds they share will bring them back—almost as if by magic...

“Splendid...Practical Magic is one of [Hoffman's] best novels, showing on every page her gift for touching ordinary life as if with a wand, to reveal how extraordinary life really is.”—Newsweek

“[A] delicious fantasy of witchcraft and love in a world where gardens smell of lemon verbena and happy endings are possible.”—Cosmopolitan

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Published Aug 5, 2003

286 pages

Average rating: 6.55

384 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

njlbo1
Jul 18, 2023
6/10 stars
I picked this up because I liked the movie "Practical Magic," but I soon found that the book is very different! That's not a bad thing. In the book, the magic is much more subtle, and the focus is more on Sally and Gillian...and love.
MAKK
Oct 02, 2025
7/10 stars
Not what I expected. This is a very rare case where I will say I actually enjoyed the movie more than the book.
TellMeMore
Sep 13, 2025
7/10 stars
I enjoyed the story and character development in the entire series.
beatricetonguedi
Jul 08, 2025
2/10 stars
This book read like an unfortunate 70s graver dream. The author conflates love with lust to a delusional degree. None of the characters are likable or relatable which results in a plot I just couldn’t bring myself to care about. In fact, I frequently found myself wondering what the main plot point of the book was supposed to be, despite the murder! I have been saving this book for a day I needed a pick-me-up and I wish I’d just gotten the experience over with years ago.
katietopp
Jan 01, 2025
8/10 stars
Alright so I watched the movie first (I know. I KNOW). But, I love them both equally. Even though to me they are very different stories.

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