(Practical Magic) Alice Hoffman – The Rules of Magic

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman—an instant New York Times bestseller and Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick—is the enchanting prequel to Practical Magic that explores the origins of the Owens family curse and the power of love, destiny, and self-acceptance.

The story follows Susanna Owens and her three extraordinary children in New York City during the 1960s: fiery and strong-willed Franny, gentle and intuitive Jet, and charming, reckless Vincent. Aware of their magical heritage and the family’s long-standing curse that dooms those who fall in love, Susanna forbids her children from practicing magic—or even from loving at all.

However, when the siblings visit their Aunt Isabelle in Massachusetts, they uncover long-hidden family secrets and begin to embrace who they truly are. Despite their mother’s warnings, they learn that love and pain are inseparable parts of being human.

Beautifully written and filled with both realism and magic, Hoffman’s novel is a tale of family, fate, and the courage to be yourself, showing that the only way to heal the human heart is to live authentically—even if it means breaking every rule.