Magic Lessons: The Prequel to Practical Magic

MAGIC LESSONS by Alice Hoffman If you’re a Practical Magic fan, you already know all about the Owens family. This is the first (chronologically) book in the series. Essentially, this is the origin story of Maria Owens - the witch that started it all. Abandoned orphan, Maria, is taken in and raised by Hannah Owens, a local woman/witch. Under Hannah’s watch Maria learns the “Unnamed Arts”. Of course, this is the 1600s so any form of plant medicine or healing arts was deemed “evil”. Historical details (witch hunts/persecutions, Judaism etc) and botanical info (herb/plant uses and lore) are woven throughout Maria and her daughter Faith’s storyline. That said, the pacing was incredibly slow and the plot was too drawn out. I felt there was too much info and not enough action or dialogue. Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️