"Practical Magic" by Alice Hoffman

I read Practical Magic in preparation for Alice Hoffman’s newest release called The Rules of Magic, which is said to be a prequel to the original story. Practical Magic was published in 1995, and having now read two of Hoffman’s newest novels I can definitely see the difference in her writing. Practical Magic is very atmospheric, slow-paced, more character- rather than plot-driven. The story begins in a small town in Massachusetts where two orphan sisters have come to live with their strange aunts. The girls can tell that their family is not like everyone else in town. For one, the aunts wear black all the time. They also grow herbs that they use for healing and warding off all sorts of evil. Finally, the townsfolk visit the aunts late at night and seek remedies for issues of the heart. The aunts can bring wayward husbands home and turn an unrequited love interest into a passionate lover.

The girls Gillian and Sally do not show any particular interest in following in the aunts’ footsteps. They certainly understand that their aunts deal with the supernatural, but both in their own way try to distance themselves from that way of life and do everything possible to be “normal”. Hoffman almost never uses the word “witch” in this novel, she also does not mention Salem or spend a lot of time focusing on the witch trials. She skillfully hints at things or mentions things in passing. The readers are left to make their own conclusions and guesses. The novel is fairly short – 244 pages, but it is quite dense. There is almost no dialogue and plenty of long descriptive paragraphs. Still, I was surprised that it took me almost 5 days or read such a short book.

Overall, I liked the story and its message of being true to who you are. Even though Gillian and Sally run away from Massachusetts and distance themselves from their “witchy” relatives, in the end they realize that magic is in their blood. Only by accepting their heritage and coming to terms with it, they start finding peace and lasting happiness. 4 out of 5 stars. A great read for October.