“There are some things I know for certain: always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder, keep rosemary by your garden gate, plant lavender for luck and fall in love whenever you can.” – Sally Owens
Practical Magic (1998) with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman is one of those movies that will force me to stop whatever I am doing to curl up with a blanket on the couch and text one of my besties to say “Practical Magic is on Channel so and so.” The book by the same name was written by Alice Hoffman and published in 1995.
When the prequel to the Practical Magic series, Magic Lessons, was offered as a Book-of-the-Month option in October 2020, I quickly chose it and suggested the book to my book club in January 2021. Too bad we could not meet in real life then because this one would have been so fun to host.
Magic Lessons is the story of Maria Owens, an orphan raised by a kind practitioner of the “Nameless Arts” in England in the 1600s. After being sold as an indentured servant, Maria sails to Curaçao where she falls in love with a man who abandons her. When she arrives in Salem, Massachusetts, in search of him, she is charged with witchery, and then the Owens Curse is cast.
“To any man who ever loves an Owens, let this curse befall you, let your fate lead to disaster, let you be broken in body and soul, and may it be that you never recover.” – Maria Owens
Maria’s quest does not end in Salem. She moves to New Amsterdam, New York; we call it Manhattan today. I really enjoyed learning more about what this area was like in the 1600s. The descriptions may not be 100% accurate, but they are very interesting.
The reader should expect spells and magic, but the main theme is love. Despite Maria’s best efforts, her trust is betrayed and revenge is taken. Do not despair. The story ends on a relatively positive note.
October is the perfect time to read the Practical Magic series. I suggest reading the books in chronological order: Magic Lessons, The Rules of Magic, Practical Magic, The Book of Magic.
Look for these recommendations and other books at Knox County Online Library or your local independent book store each week.
Linda Sullivan is an avid reader and wants to make you one, too. For more recommendations or just to talk books, reach out to her at thebookwhisperertn@gmail.com. She can also be found @thebookwhisperertn on Instagram.
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