"Literary magic is the most powerful." - Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman
Alice Hoffman is one of my favourite authors so I was pleased to receive an e-ARC of Magic Lessons from NetGalley and Simon and Schuster Canada.
This is the prequel to The Rules of Magic and Practical Magic. I have not read either of those yet and am happy to have started with this one. Now I want to read the rest and I believe this one set the other two up.
This story begins in the mid-1600s when Maria is an abandoned baby, found by Hannah Owens. As Maria grows up, Hannah realizes that Maria has a special gift as a seer. As Maria witnesses all of the women secretly seeking help from Hannah, Maria discerns that most of the women were seeking help for their problems with love. Because of this, Maria vows to never let love rule her life.
When Maria sees real love through her birth mother and father, she still doesn't believe that it exists for her. Eventually, Maria gives birth to her daughter, a beautiful, red-headed girl named Faith. Faith also vows to never fall in love.
This story brings us from England to Curacao to Massachusetts to New York. It's a story of magical spells, potions, curses and witch trials. It is also a story of motherhood and the power of love.
Hoffman creates wonderful characters, women who have strength, courage and the ability to harness the power within them. Even the animals, Cadin and Keeper are real in my imagination. The writing is magical itself and casts a spell on the reader to enter into this mystical story.
Looking forward to the rest of the series.
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