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loonysaurus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Chronic illness, Religious bigotry, Grief, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Physical abuse, Sexism, Misogyny, Murder, and Self harm
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Addiction, Stalking, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Hate crime, Slavery, Violence, Racism, and Abandonment
Minor: Classism and Sexual content
gen_wolfhailstorm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Toxic friendship, Animal death, Genocide, Child death, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Gore, Sexual content, Infidelity, Infertility, Death, Dementia, Child abuse, Grief, Sexual assault, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Confinement, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Animal cruelty, Sexism, Stalking, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Forced institutionalization, Murder, Pedophilia, Blood, Medical content, and Violence
danimain's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Animal death, Murder, Sexism, Xenophobia, Animal cruelty, Confinement, and Child abuse
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Self harm, Racism, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Pedophilia, Slavery, and Kidnapping
booksalacarte's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Historical Fantasy
Magical Realism
Witches
Salem witch trials
Witch heritage
Early America
One Bed
Journey
Coming of age
Generational Curse
Kidnapping
Alice Hoffman’s writing often feels like campfire storytelling . It’s such a specific style that is a perfect example of the Art of a tale. With whimsey, magic and love she transports her readers to another place and time.
I found the history of the Owens family and the originator of the love curse to be rich in prose, vivid descriptions and a careful attention to history.
This is a slow moving tale that follows the entire life of the matriarch of the Owen’s family. But Hoffman completely captures the scene of each of the places the MC finds herself, as well as the misogynistic and fearful tone of the time.
“Do as you will, but bring harm to no one.
What you will give will be returned to you threefold.”
Graphic: Classism, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Sexism, Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Dementia, Chronic illness, Confinement, Colonisation, Death, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Misogyny, Pregnancy, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
chasingpages1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Animal death, Animal cruelty, Kidnapping, and Death
Moderate: Antisemitism, Religious bigotry, Medical content, Adult/minor relationship, Misogyny, Stalking, Confinement, and Infidelity
Minor: Chronic illness, Colonisation, Medical trauma, Infertility, Slavery, Sexual content, and Dementia
vistacanas's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“Tell a witch to go, and she’ll plant her feet on the ground and stay exactly where she is. Instead of doing as she’s told, she’ll take a knife to her arm and let her blood drip onto the ground, and in that way she will claim the earth for herself and for her daughters and for all the daughters who follow her. It is the future she’s claiming, the right to be a woman who can do as she pleases.“
With every book I read about witches, I feel more and more connected to a tribe. Definitely not a typical one. This tribe isn’t restricted by the boundaries of time and place. It’s filled with countless generations of strong women who were/are deeply connected to nature and use its gifts to heal. They refused to follow the herd and be stifled by the patriarchy. They are my sisters.
This book is the prequel to Practical Magic…I have the full series and chose to read them in chronological order. It is the story of the matriarch of the Owen witches that takes place in the late 1600s in England, Curaçao, Salem, and New York.
Although it’s magical realism, you learn a lot about history…of each place and the plight of those women who chose to live on the edges.
The plot was formulaic, thus predictable…it was the characters that kept me turning the pages. Alice Hoffman has a gift for character development.
The two biggest detractions for me were the magical realism and Hoffman’s diversions into Jewish history. My personal preference is for more realistic fiction, so that’s totally on me. I think more readers would agree with me that the breaks from the story to educate us on the plight and contributions of Jews were overindulgent, wholly unnecessary and mild to moderately irritating.
Looking forward to reading Practical Magic, which I’ve heard is very different than the movie.
Graphic: Abandonment, Death, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Forced institutionalization, Misogyny, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Death of parent, and Infertility
Minor: Alcohol, Fire/Fire injury, Abortion, Antisemitism, Colonisation, Torture, and Slavery
waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
A recurring line is that what you put out into the world will come back threefold. And I love that it really makes you reflect on your own choices, on your own energy. The book also repeats the line that what has been done cannot be undone. How are you living your life? What can you change?
I love that it made me think and hit me right in the chest with insights and self-reflection right along with the characters. I constantly had a highlighter handy because there was so much that stood out to me that I wanted to go back to. I went back a few times throughout the novel and sayw deliciously perfect morsels of foreshadowing, which makes it perfect book to reread and get something new out of it or notice something that you missed the first time.
I highly recommend this book!
Graphic: Child abuse, Misogyny, Torture, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Animal cruelty, Death of parent, Confinement, Adult/minor relationship, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual assault, Violence, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Slavery, Abandonment, Antisemitism, Death, and Emotional abuse
bookishfaye's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Pregnancy, Death, Grief, Infidelity, Violence, Chronic illness, Confinement, Abandonment, Animal death, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Slavery, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
julianalo's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Murder, Colonisation, Death, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Abortion, Sexual assault, and Slavery
queer_bookwyrm's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
"Do as you will, but harm no one. What you give will be returned to you threefold. Fall in love whenever you can."
Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman is the prequel to Practical Magic and The Rules of Magic. Although this was an enjoyable read with Hoffman's classic style, I definitely enjoyed Practical Magic more, mostly because I've read so many books on the Salem Witch trials, that some elements felt too familiar to other books.
We follow the life of Maria Owens, the original Owens witch. We follow her from Essex County England to Curiçao to Salem to New York and back to Salem. We also learn of her Daughter Faith, who turns to left-handed magic.
We get to see Maria struggling to figure what (romantic) love is, and though she vows not to ever fall in love (spoiler alert) she does, although what she thinks is love, isn't. Unfortunately this leads her to avoid the person who is her true love. She even calls down a curse on any man who falls in love with an Owens' woman.
Although this was a story about the Witch Trials and how women didn't get to do as they as they please, ultimately, this was a story about love: how it can destroy you when it goes wrong and how it can save you when it's true. Similarly it's also the story of a Mother's love and the complicated relationship between mother and daughter that witches and non-witches alike can relate to.
The 3rd person omniscient that Hoffman uses is a bit impersonal and feels a bit like you're floating above the characters. There was also a lot of repetition of the same descriptions and listing out the same ingredients throughout the book. I'm glad I read this prequel and now. Looking forward to seeing where the Owens women go in The Rules of Magic.
Graphic: Domestic abuse
Moderate: Animal death, Murder, and Slavery