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rainy_8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Confinement and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Misogyny, Slavery, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
Minor: Chronic illness, Genocide, Antisemitism, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Colonisation
loonysaurus's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Antisemitism, Stalking, Abandonment, and Colonisation
Minor: Sexual content and Classism
alexjoneswrites's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Animal death, Child abuse, Misogyny, and Torture
Minor: Kidnapping and Abandonment
booksalacarte's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Historical Fantasy
Magical Realism
Witches
Salem witch trials
Witch heritage
Early America
One Bed
Journey
Coming of age
Generational Curse
Kidnapping
Alice Hoffman’s writing often feels like campfire storytelling . It’s such a specific style that is a perfect example of the Art of a tale. With whimsey, magic and love she transports her readers to another place and time.
I found the history of the Owens family and the originator of the love curse to be rich in prose, vivid descriptions and a careful attention to history.
This is a slow moving tale that follows the entire life of the matriarch of the Owen’s family. But Hoffman completely captures the scene of each of the places the MC finds herself, as well as the misogynistic and fearful tone of the time.
“Do as you will, but bring harm to no one.
What you will give will be returned to you threefold.”
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Colonisation, and Classism
honeymoonleo's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Death, Misogyny, and Gaslighting
chasingpages1's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Infidelity, Misogyny, Antisemitism, Medical content, Religious bigotry, and Stalking
Minor: Chronic illness, Infertility, Sexual content, Slavery, Dementia, Medical trauma, and Colonisation
jedore's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
“Tell a witch to go, and she’ll plant her feet on the ground and stay exactly where she is. Instead of doing as she’s told, she’ll take a knife to her arm and let her blood drip onto the ground, and in that way she will claim the earth for herself and for her daughters and for all the daughters who follow her. It is the future she’s claiming, the right to be a woman who can do as she pleases.“
With every book I read about witches, I feel more and more connected to a tribe. Definitely not a typical one. This tribe isn’t restricted by the boundaries of time and place. It’s filled with countless generations of strong women who were/are deeply connected to nature and use its gifts to heal. They refused to follow the herd and be stifled by the patriarchy. They are my sisters.
This book is the prequel to Practical Magic…I have the full series and chose to read them in chronological order. It is the story of the matriarch of the Owen witches that takes place in the late 1600s in England, Curaçao, Salem, and New York.
Although it’s magical realism, you learn a lot about history…of each place and the plight of those women who chose to live on the edges.
The plot was formulaic, thus predictable…it was the characters that kept me turning the pages. Alice Hoffman has a gift for character development.
The two biggest detractions for me were the magical realism and Hoffman’s diversions into Jewish history. My personal preference is for more realistic fiction, so that’s totally on me. I think more readers would agree with me that the breaks from the story to educate us on the plight and contributions of Jews were overindulgent, wholly unnecessary and mild to moderately irritating.
Looking forward to reading Practical Magic, which I’ve heard is very different than the movie.
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Religious bigotry, Gaslighting, and Abandonment
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Infertility, and Death of parent
Minor: Slavery, Torture, Antisemitism, Abortion, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Colonisation
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, and Murder
waytoomanybooks's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A recurring line is that what you put out into the world will come back threefold. And I love that it really makes you reflect on your own choices, on your own energy. The book also repeats the line that what has been done cannot be undone. How are you living your life? What can you change?
I love that it made me think and hit me right in the chest with insights and self-reflection right along with the characters. I constantly had a highlighter handy because there was so much that stood out to me that I wanted to go back to. I went back a few times throughout the novel and saw deliciously perfect morsels of foreshadowing, which makes it perfect book to reread and get something new out of it or notice something that you missed the first time.
I highly recommend this book!
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Antisemitism, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
bookishfaye's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Infidelity, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Pregnancy, and Abandonment