Magic Lessons: A Prequel to Practical Magic

By Alice Hoffman

The extraordinary new novel from the author of Practical Magic and The Dovekeepers

We first met the Owens in the glorious novel Practical Magic. We discovered the tragedy of the Owens siblings in The Rules of Magic. Now we learn how it all began ... with a baby abandoned in a snowy
English field in the 1600s. Under the care of gentle Hannah Owens, little Maria learns about the ‘Unnamed Arts’. Maria has a gift for them – a gift that may well prove her undoing.

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 celebration of life and love, and a showcase of Alice Hoffman’s masterful storytelling.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
• Release date: Oct 6, 2020
• ISBN: 9781471198953

Alice Hoffman

Alice Hoffman is the author of more than thirty works of fiction, including The Book of Magic, Magic Lessons, The World That We Knew, Practical Magic, The Rules of Magic (a Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick), the Oprah’s Book Club Selection Here on Earth, The Red Garden, The Dovekeepers, The Museum of Extraordinary Things, The Marriage of Opposites, and Faithful. She lives near Boston.

Reviews for Magic Lessons

[didireallyreadthat · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I loved the book. The characters were interesting so was the time period in which it took place. I found myself rooting for Maria when things were going well and groaning when she seemed to make bad decisions. It also helped that there was a love story involved. It is definitely worth reading other books in the series.

[ellenh_28 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I hadn't realised this was a prequel when I started, but I loved it! Alice Hoffman has a way of telling a magical story including magical ideas while keeping my interest totally!

[katkealy · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another great book in the Practical Magic series. If you liked the other books in the series, this is a must read.

[lilibrarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

In this prequel to Practical Magic, we learn how the first Owens family member arrived in the United States, and how love came to be cursed for the women of that family.

[bloodbanker1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Alice Hoffman has been a favorite author of mine for years. This prequel to her Practical Magic series was engrossing. I love the history lessons which the author puts into all of her works. It was so fulfilling to learn where the Owens witches began and how their story has evolved through the years.This book will not disappoint long time fans.

[michaelk12345-7109 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Entertaining and a very quick read.

[jonimfisher · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In the 1600s, the Owens family began when Maria Owens was found in a snowy field by Hannah Owens and raised in the the “Nameless Art.” Maria’s life is filled with lessons in magic and life. If you read Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic, see how it all began.

[karenbayly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was a joy to finally read about Maria Owens, a witch who has loomed large in the lives of her female descendants. Hoffman has an amazing ability to make Owens’ magic realistic, and her women are ones I can admire even as I recognise their flaws. I hope she will introduce her readers to more Owens women.

[marquis784-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I received a complimentary digital copy of this arc book from the publisher and NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

It all begins in 1664 when Hannah Owens finds baby Maria wrapped in a blue blanket in the woods. She brings the baby to her secluded cottage in the woods where she raises her as her own. She discovers that Maria is not an ordinary child as she quickly learns the healing properties of herbs. Having been an orphan herself, Hannah takes pride in teaching Maria how to read and write which are valuable tools during this time period.

Maria’s life is turned upside down when her biological mother shows up to claim Maria after many years. She carries her own secrets of the past and reasons for abandoning Maria in the forest. Her life is at stake when she learns about her family history and the curse that lingers through the generations. When Maria is 16 years old she becomes pregnant by an influential married man. When her daughter Faith is 5 years old they flee to Massachusetts after persuading Captain Abraham Dias to allow them passage to the states. He is convinced when she is able to care for his 25 year old son Samuel who is stricken with dengue.

Again, the story of the Owens family is not typical and filled with intrigue and mystery. The lessons of magic are delicate and sacred not to be entrusted to those who do not value its purpose.

[rcarpent-438971 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have throughly enjoyed all the books in this series. Alice Hoffman is adept at drawing the reader into the characters, their lives and adventures. I did not get as engrossed by this book, but it was still has my recommendation. Enjoy the prequel.