The Rules of Magic

By: Alice Hoffman

Narrated by: Marin Ireland

From beloved author Alice Hoffman comes the spellbinding prequel to her best seller Practical Magic.

Find your magic.

For the Owens family, love is a curse that began in 1620, when Maria Owens was charged with witchery for loving the wrong man.

Hundreds of years later, in New York City at the cusp of the '60s, when the whole world is about to change, Susanna Owens knows that her three children are dangerously unique. Difficult Franny, with skin as pale as milk and blood-red hair; shy and beautiful Jet, who can read other people's thoughts; and charismatic Vincent, who began looking for trouble on the day he could walk.

From the start, Susanna sets down rules for her children. No walking in the moonlight, no red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, no books about magic. And, most importantly, never, ever fall in love. But when her children visit their aunt Isabelle in the small Massachusetts town where the Owens family has been blamed for everything that has ever gone wrong, they uncover family secrets and begin to understand the truth of who they are. Back in New York City, each begins a risky journey as they try to escape the family curse.

The Owens children cannot escape love even if they try, just as they cannot escape the pains of the human heart. The two beautiful sisters will grow up to be the revered and sometimes feared aunts in Practical Magic while Vincent, their beloved brother, will leave an unexpected legacy. Thrilling and exquisite, real and fantastical, The Rules of Magic is a story about the power of love reminding us that the only remedy for being human is to be true to yourself.

©2017 Alice Hoffman (P)2017 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"This audiobook, narrated by Marin Ireland, is an enchanting performance of a charming story.... Unlike some performers, Ireland doesn't focus on creating extremely distinct voices for each character; instead, she provides a perfect match for author Hoffman's creative style, which is warm and lyrical. Ireland speaks clearly, enunciating every word, and reads at a smooth pace." (AudioFile)

Loved it

This book was so enthralling I couldn't stop listening! I was personally not a fan of Practical Magic, and this book was everything I had hoped for when I purchased Practical Magic.

Loved it

I love stories that remind me of my youth. It made it even better since I also grew up in NYC and related on a deeper level. The story made me giggle, smile, and cry. It also made me a believer in Magic.

Spellbinding

Alice Hoffman has always been one of my favorite authors, and this story is my favorite of all she has created. The characters are so vividly drawn and the narrative so compelling, with lovely narration, that I will listen to it again and give hardcopies as gifts to my sisters and mother.

Audiobooks hit or miss

This book was really awoke some sort of young fangirl in me; I loved Practical Magic so much I forgave it's quirks and did so with The Rules of Magic.

If you read any Francesca Lia Block as a teenager (I'm a millennial) you will love this new novel by Alice Hoffman.

this is well written, but also sadly depressing.

if you are looking for a pick-me-up kind of story, this is not your book. there are beautifully described scenes, scents and emotions, and I liked the narrator's voice, but i also had to be in the right state of mind to listen to it. I imagine this will eventually become a series of movies for pre-teens, etc.

entertaining story

good, entertaining story. great for listening to on a trip or a long train ride

Perfect prequel to Practical Magic

Loved the magic filled story. A mix of witch and fiction. Life brings a little laughter, alot of pain, and love takes alot of courage.
The narrator was very pleasant and great flow with the story.

Need this turned into a movie

THIS book has taken me to places of my heart I couldn’t ever dream up. I am SO happy to have read this book. I’m referring it to all of my
Family and friends. It stirs up emotions in a way you would evolve from. Love love love !!! 10/10 would recommend

Owens...yes yes yes!!!

LOVE! Practical Magic has always been on my Top 5 lists, both book and film. I'm so glad to have found The Rules of Magic!! It's a perfect prequel that fills in holes and makes 'the aunts' so much more relatable and shows us who they really are.
Yes!!

Stick with it - the second half is the best!

The first part of this book was full of details that seemed superfluous but became important in the second half of the book. The second half is well worth the wait. The 99 chapters (!) flew by. If you are a fan of Practical Magic, you'll probably love this too. I did.