Magic Lessons: A Prequel to Practical Magic (Volume 1) (The Practical Magic Series) Paperback – 14 Oct. 2021

Halloween Post - Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman and The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. HarrowMaria is found as a baby by wise woman Hannah Owens, who brings her up with the old ways. Maria learns how to grow a healing garden, to use herbs for ailments of body and mind, and help women with problems caused by love. However, Maria’s power isn’t just learned. She has the mark of a blood witch from her birth mother, and has been chosen by her familiar Cadin who is a crow. Maria feels she must be the result of a woman being fooled by love and vows not to be taken in by a man. Tragically, Hannah is burned as a witch and Maria knows she must run to save her life. She meets her mother and birth father, and realising there is no room in their love for a third person she takes a gift of red boots and sails to the island of Curacao where she has been sold into servitude for a period of five years. Here, her vow against love will be tested. Taking us through the dangerous years of the 17th Century, where Puritanical communities like Salem in Massachusetts were whipped to hysteria, and would not suffer a witch to live. Hoffman’s prequel to Practical Magic takes us back to the beginnings of the Owens family and the complicated relationship between their power and the very human need to be loved.I had been waiting for this prequel for a long time and I wasn’t disappointed. It only took me moments to be in Hoffman’s magical world thanks to the layers of description she uses to create an unusual atmosphere. In some senses she creates an instantly recognisable sense of place. Her descriptions of Massachusetts, and later, Brooklyn are full of local floral and fauna, the sense of wilderness and pioneering spirit within these early settlers of the Americas. It is dark, foggy, wet and often icily cold with dangerous animals and even more dangerous people. By contrast the time spent travelling to the West Indies and the beautiful island of Curacao are vivid. In the daytime full of colour, exotic flowers and birds and I could feel the sun on my face, the warm sand beneath my feet and the incredible animals such as the turtles and tiny hummingbirds. By night, when Maria and her friend explore the island, it is still warm, with a vast sky full of stars. On the other hand there are times when these places seem otherworldly as we see them through the eyes of a witch: the magical properties of plants, the incredible loyalty of an wild animal like Keeper the wolf, and the witches’ power to control these elements to their advantage. It’s our world but not quite. The difference is viewing it through the lens of history, but most unimportantly, by magic.There were times I didn’t fully understand Maria, although she’s the more sympathetic character of the three generations. She protects herself against love after seeing what it did to her mother, but then later says she couldn’t protect herself against love. I think this is almost a push and pull between the human and more magical signs of her character. She tries to use her power to prevent love, but perhaps her heart truly longs for it. The tragedy is in protecting herself against the right man, while letting the wrong one in. I find her choice to go to Massachusetts with her daughter Faith inexplicable given that she has friends and support in Curacao. John Hathorne is a very dangerous man, to women in general and not just the witches he persecutes. He drags young girls into a battle he is constantly fighting between his appetites and his conscience. There is part of him that emerged in Curacao that wants to shed his responsibilities, to throw off inhibition and dive into the sea as well as give in to his passions for a woman he desires. In Massachusetts he is a pillar of the Puritan community, yet he marries his wife Ruth when she is just 14 and his ward. She describes crying as he takes her to the marital bed, but her fear and young age does not stop him. It’s worth mentioning that in a historical context this isn’t unusual, but to me it shows a lack of compassion and respect for women. He turns his back on his daughter, both when she’s a baby and when she returns as a young woman. Maria, his wife Ruth and his daughter Faith are all his victims. Samuel, or Gogo as Faith calls him, is a good man and I was desperate for him to win Maria over. He is not scared of Maria or her power. He loves her intelligence, her fortitude and her power. I could have cried for how much time is wasted as Maria fights him.I enjoyed the way Hoffman weaves in the historical context for America in this period. These are early settlements, some first colonised by the Dutch then by the English. She doesn’t forget the indigenous tribes either, often completely massacred by these ‘Christian communities’ who hold themselves in such high regard. They hold women with healing knowledge in the same regard as these natives of USA, as if they are cleansing their area of magical and primitive beliefs. Hoffman doesn’t forget her Jewish heritage either, situating them as a persecuted race often moved on from areas they’ve settled and treated with suspicion. We see this in the characters of Samuel and his father, who have chosen a life on the sea instead, but still hold their heritage close to their hearts. There’s a sense in which Christianity is anti-magic whereas Judaism is closer to ancient magic and respectful of its power, especially in its capacity to do good. The only time Samuel stops Maria from practicing her magic is when it’s in a darker form, as she tries everything to keep his father alive. The Christian beliefs practised by the Dutch and English settlers has become corrupted and Hoffman presents their acts as the very evil they fear. When Maria is taken for the trial by drowning in Massachusetts, there is a frenzy and mob like mentality that is seen later in real life witch trials of Salem and the fictional arrest and trial endured by Faith. When Faith is taken by a Christian woman, confined and forced to live as her daughter we again see obsession and evil. Her captor never seems to doubt she is doing God’s work removing Faith from her mother, taking her far away and putting her in irons to remove her power. Yet this evil, begets more evil as Faith escapes and uses her freedom to practice blood magic steeped in anger and revenge. Yet she still has a conscience. Faith is haunted by the death of her captor, despite helping women to wreak revenge and enchantment by night.I would have liked to see a more time between John Hathorne’s wife Ruth and Maria, because they were both exploited by the same man. I also think that there was perhaps too much complex detail in the women’s appearances such as Faith’s changing hair colour or the different colours of thread used for different purposes. I found myself becoming confused at times, but it’s a small issue in a magical story. I think this was a thoughtful and atmospheric origins story of a family many fans have come to love. I think the strength of this series is in that combination of the mystical and the very human elements of the story. Despite their powers Maria, her mother Rebecca and her daughter Faith experience the highs and lows of every woman’s life - the changes of adolescence, falling in love with the wrong man and the right one, motherhood, illness and ageing. I felt emotional as Maria saw her ‘mother figure’ Hannah murdered by men who feared her, as she realised the man she loved didn’t really exist, and as she lost Cadin her loyal companion. These women’s fight to be accepted and even acknowledged for their skills is a fight that continues today as we fight for women’s rights to equal pay, to save reproductive rights and to be seen as more than sexual objects. Their fight to stay alive is still echoed in our fight to stop child brides, exploitation of young girls and domestic abuse. It was a series coming full circle, as we see the formation of that mistrust of love that shapes Jet’s journey or that sees Gillian constantly pick the wrong man. I truly loved my time back with the Owens women again.Alix Harow’s new novel picks up from Hoffman’s link between the fate of women labelled witches and the women’s rights movement.

I have always loved the film Practical Magic, it’s one of my all time favourites! When I realised it was based on a book I rushed to get it and then never read it. When I discovered that a few of my book club buddy’s wanted to read the series it made perfect sense to do a buddy read and what better time than Halloween month?I have always wanted to know more about the Owen’s family and how the curse came about and this book certainly delivered on all the witchy history. The descriptions of different cures for ailments and needs were fascinating and I loved how they were littered throughout the book. The herbal remedies have always intrigued me and it was great to see witchcraft shown in a more natural light rather than the usual hocus pocus! This may be a work of fiction but it’s clear to see that Alice Hoffman has drawn on the historical Salem witch trials for this story. It’s horrendous to think what women lived through in the 1600’s and how owning just a small amount of herbs or healing the common cold could sentence you to death!Maria Owens certainly had a rough start to life but I’m so pleased that Hannah was the one to find her. I was gutted to see Hannah leave the story so early but it was obvious throughout that she’d had a profound effect on Maria. As Maria grew up I kept finding myself shocked at her age. Some of the things she had witnessed or gone through were horrific but to go through it as a child was unthinkable. She carried herself in a very mature way but given what she’d been through she had to grow up quite quickly.Faith was an interesting person. My heart broke for her at the beginning of her story and can’t imagine how it must of felt to be under Martha’s care but I did find it hard to warm to her. I could understand why she had so much resentment and her actions I felt were sometimes justified but that didn’t always make me like her.When I finished this I wanted to dive straight in to the next in the series. I am well and truly hooked to the Owen’s family and can’t wait to see how their story develops. If you’re after a story of female solidarity with a witchy twist then this is for you!

4 Pure magic in every way StarsHoffman takes us back to the 1600’s and the beginnings of the Owens’ family love curse with the story of Maria Owens and her daughter Faith.Yes, this is a story of witchcraft, but this also a story of healing, kindness and the magic if love. From Essex, England to Curaçao, to Salem, Massachusetts to New York back to Salem, we are taken on Maria’s life journey. 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.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 listened to this one on audible and the narrator Sutton Foster was excellent. This is my first novel by this author and I am hoping to read the rest of the books in this series.

I stumbled upon this book when looking to replace my "Practical Magic" dvd which has worn out from over playing. I never occurred to me that it was a book first, although most movies are. To then find out that it is the THIRD book in the series blew my mind.If you're like me and love the movie then this book is probably for you. The movie starts with a brief introduction to Sally and Gilly's ancestor Maria who cast the curse."Magic Lessons" is Maria's story, right from birth. I'm about half way through the book but finding it really readable. It's the kind of book that window seats and large mugs of hot chocolate are made for.I have read reviews that the book of the film is very different, but that is always the way. The fact that it is third in this series I think will temper any annoyance as by the time I get to it I will be meeting the sisters in a different way.