Practical Magic

"Practical Magic" by Alice Hoffman is a wonderful gothic fantasy of witchcraft and love. The two sisters Gillian and Sally were always outsiders in their small New England town. They were bullied and shunned for the magic that seemed to sparkle around them, and their biggest dream was to leave and live a new life. Years later one sister runs away and another gets married. But one day a tragedy brings the sisters back to their traumatic past. Alice Hoffman's "Practical Magic" is a beautiful written dark but yet warm novel of love, family and forgiveness.

"Practical Magic" by Alice Hoffman is a wonderful gothic fantasy of witchcraft and love. The two sisters Gillian and Sally were always outsiders in their small New England town. They were bullied and shunned for the magic that seemed to sparkle around them, and their biggest dream was to leave and live a new life. Years later one sister runs away and another gets married. But one day a tragedy brings the sisters back to their traumatic past. Alice Hoffman's "Practical Magic" is a beautiful written dark but yet warm novel of love, family and forgiveness.

‘There are some things, after all, that Sally Owens knows for certain: Always throw spilled salt over your left shoulder. Keep rosemary by your garden gate. Add pepper to your mashed potatoes. Plant roses and lavender, for luck. Fall in love whenever you can.’ As children, Gillian and Sally Owens are marked as different, growing up on the margins of a small New England town where whispers of magic cling to their family name. Each longs to escape: one into marriage, the other as far from home as she can travel. Years later, when tragedy draws them back together, the sisters must confront not only the past they tried to leave behind, but the enduring connection between them – and the power, both dangerous and transformative, that has always set them apart. Richly atmospheric and quietly spellbinding, Practical Magic is a story of love and loss, forgiveness and belonging, and the extraordinary resilience of family. Alice Hoffman’s beloved novel continues to enchant readers with its seamless blend of the everyday and the otherworldly, capturing the fragile, powerful magic of being human. ‘A great atmospheric story teller’ Kate Atkinson ‘Alice Hoffman is wonderful on stories and writing’ Stephen King ‘The reigning queen of magical realism’ Kristin Hannah ‘Storytelling is in Hoffman’s bones’ New York Times Book Review

The Owens sisters confront the challenges of life and love in this bewitching novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Rules of Magic and The World That We Knew. For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally have endured that fate as well: as children, the sisters were forever outsiders, taunted, talked about, pointed at. Their elderly aunts almost seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, with their musty house and their exotic concoctions and their crowd of black cats. But all Gillian and Sally wanted was to escape. One will do so by marrying, the other by running away. But the bonds they share will bring them back-almost as if by magic... "Splendid...Practical Magic is one of [Hoffman's] best novels, showing on every page her gift for touching ordinary life as if with a wand, to reveal how extraordinary life really is."-Newsweek "[A] delicious fantasy of witchcraft and love in a world where gardens smell of lemon verbena and happy endings are possible."-Cosmopolitan

The bestselling author of Second Nature, Illumination Night and Turtle Moon now offers her most fascinating and tantalizingly accomplished novel yet -- a winning tale that amply confirms Alice Hoffman's reputation not only as a genius of the vivid scene and unforgettable character but as one of America's most captivating storytellers.When the beautiful and precocious sisters Sally and Gillian Owens are orphaned at a young age, they are taken to a small Massachusetts town to be raised by their eccentric aunts, who happen to dwell in the darkest, eeriest house in town. As they become more aware of their aunts' mysterious and sometimes frightening powers -- and as their own powers begin to surface -- the sisters grow determined to escape their strange upbringing by blending into 'normal' society.But both find that they cannot elude their magic-filled past. And when trouble strikes -- in the form of a menacing backyard ghost -- the sisters must not only reunite three generations of Owens women but embrace their magic as a gift -- and their key to a future of love and passion. Funny, haunting, and shamelessly romantic, Practical Magic is bewitching entertainment -- Alice Hoffman at her spectacular best.

Practical Magic is a charmed introduction to the wonders of modern magic and mysticism, from crystals and astrology to chakras, dream interpretation, and, of course, a few spells! Focusing on three primary areas -- healing, magic, and fortunetelling -- this books provides the perfect primer for sophisticated dabblers, with inviting text and spell-binding illustrations. Clear introductions on trending topics, like herbal tonics and astrological charts, are paired with home remedies, hands-on instructions, and suggested rituals in a chic, stylish format that will capture the imaginations of good witches of all ages.

The Owens sisters confront the challenges of life and love in this bewitching novel from New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman--now in a gorgeous deluxe hardcover edition. This deluxe edition of Practical Magic includes: - A beautiful new jacket featuring embossing and a full sheet of foil - Solid black endpapers - Deckled edges For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally have endured that fate as well: as children, the sisters were forever outsiders, taunted, talked about, pointed at. Their elderly aunts almost seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, with their musty house and their exotic concoctions and their crowd of black cats. But all Gillian and Sally wanted was to escape. One will do so by marrying, the other by running away. But the bonds they share will bring them back--almost as if by magic... "Splendid... Practical Magic is one of [Hoffman's] best novels, showing on every page her gift for touching ordinary life as if with a wand, to reveal how extraordinary life really is." --Newsweek "[A] delicious fantasy of witchcraft and love in a world where gardens smell of lemon verbena and happy endings are possible."-- Cosmopolitan

The Owens sisters confront the challenges of life and love in this bewitching novel from New York Times bestselling author Alice Hoffman--now in a gorgeous deluxe hardcover edition. This deluxe edition of Practical Magic includes: - A beautiful new jacket featuring embossing and a full sheet of foil - Solid black endpapers - Deckled edges For more than two hundred years, the Owens women have been blamed for everything that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town. Gillian and Sally have endured that fate as well: as children, the sisters were forever outsiders, taunted, talked about, pointed at. Their elderly aunts almost seemed to encourage the whispers of witchery, with their musty house and their exotic concoctions and their crowd of black cats. But all Gillian and Sally wanted was to escape. One will do so by marrying, the other by running away. But the bonds they share will bring them back--almost as if by magic... "Splendid... Practical Magic is one of [Hoffman's] best novels, showing on every page her gift for touching ordinary life as if with a wand, to reveal how extraordinary life really is." --Newsweek "[A] delicious fantasy of witchcraft and love in a world where gardens smell of lemon verbena and happy endings are possible."-- Cosmopolitan