This is the *story of three siblings, borne of Susannah Owens – Franny, Jet and Vincent, who finally discover who they are when they visit their Aunt Isabelle on Magnolia Street, Massachusetts.
* prequel to Practical Magic
Vincent takes a glimpse into the black mirror at his Aunts house one young summer and can see his future. It makes him a difficult child, with a charm so strong it makes him irresistible. He loathes himself and his family, he explores dark magic through The Magus, and even though he knows the rules of magic and therefore the consequences, he doesn’t care. His fate is sealed. Even the adoration of their cousin April cannot lift his spirits. The girls discover what love can do to them very early in life and vow to not love again. But Jet [Bridget] can’t help herself and is drawn to Levi Willard who the Owens family are already inextricably linked to by their entwined histories. Franny, the responsible one, the studious girl who is meant to go off to Harvard is loved by her best friend Haylin. He knows everything about her except that she can never sink in water, she can only float. This one fact stays with them as they grow older denying them trust and affection, until it’s almost too late.
Rich and full with spells and sorcery, with a growing awareness of what they are, the three siblings show the reader all their powers of mayhem and magic in a coming of age tale. Lavished with the secret of the Owens curse and sprinkled with the history of witches, a feast of words conjuring colourful imagery bring to life beauty and spectre in this prequel. Sometimes dark and visceral, but also exploring the meaning of love, this story will grab your imagination and draw you in.
If you’ve ever wondered what happened before two very young girls named Sally and Gillian moved to Magnolia Street, or who Aunt Frances and Aunt Bridget were before they left the porch light on after dusk, read The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman published by Simon and Schuster on 2nd November 2017 @simonschusterUK #RulesofMagic
Themes: true love, homosexuality, humanity, prejudice, being true to yourself, the sixties, war, self-esteem, trust, friendship, family ties that bind us, expectations, a touch of regret
Thanks to NetGalley and Simon and Schuster for my free ARC.
Appletree Books 