kimbacaffeinate
Written on Dec 21, 2020
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.
Praise for Alice Hoffman
'A testament to the human spirit and to love rising from the ashes of war' Jodi Picoult
'Beautiful, harrowing, a major contribution to twenty-first century literature' Toni Morrison
- ISBN10 1471197247
- ISBN13 9781471197246
- Publish Date 6 October 2020
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country GB
- Publisher Simon & Schuster Ltd
- Imprint Simon & Schuster UK
- Edition Unabridged
- Format Audiobook
- Duration 13 hours and 26 minutes
- Language English
Reviews
Martha G
Written on Nov 16, 2020
Quirky Cat
Written on Oct 17, 2020
Practical Magic, a beloved novel by Alice Hoffman, just got a prequel, and I'm pretty sure the entire fandom just collectively sighed in relief. Magic Lessons is set in a time before the curse was laid on the Owens women.
Maria Owens, arguably the most famous and infamous Owns women of them all. She's the one who started the curse. Her legend was passed down through the family, but until now, fans had never really gotten a chance to see the full story.
She was abandoned as a baby, in England, yet over the course of her life, she made a place for herself and eventually made her way to Salem, Massachusetts. Her timing was probably not the best, as her story will show.
“Read as many books as you can. Always choose courage.”
Oh my goodness. I should have expected this, but Magic Lessons touched my heart. It was beautiful, heartwarming, and heartbreaking all in one. Just like Practical Magic, the story of the Owens family wormed it's way into my soul.
Before I really dive into my review, I do want to mention that there is a fair amount of animal death in this book. There are several familiars in Magic Lessons, and let's just say that they don't all make it. Consider yourself warned.
Honestly, if I had thought about it a bit more, I would have realized how heavy this novel was going to be. It's about the origin of the Owens curse, which says enough right there. But I was still blown away by how much this novel made me feel.
“Always love someone you will love you back.”
It wasn't all sadness. It was a complex variety of emotions, a combination that only Alice Hoffman can evoke. I really do mean it when I say that it was both heartbreaking and heartwarming – with just the right balance of both.
The story of Maria Owens was, frankly, fascinating. I never would have guessed how much she went through in her life. I knew about the part of her life that resulted in the curse, but that was literally the extent of it. I never would have guessed the events before the curse – or the events afterward.
Like the other Owens tales, this is a multi-generation story, at least in part. Her mother, her daughter, and the lives of the people she touched, they all matter in this novel. It's all beautifully woven together.
I'll confess that I felt a bit weepy when I finished Magic Lessons. I think that had more to do with how deeply it touched me, than any truly somber note of the novel itself. It was also the sadness of saying goodbye to a brilliant book.
Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks
Lianne
Written on Sep 23, 2020