Longing to escape the Massachusetts hometown that has always blamed their family for whatever goes wrong, Gillian and Sally respectively marry and run away but are drawn back by a seemingly magical force. Reprint. NYT.

Review

For most adults, fairy tales are among the childish things we've put away. Alice Hoffman, however, feels differently. Practical Magic starts out as a tale of Gillian and Sally Owens, two orphaned girls whose aunts are witches--of a mild sort. For the past two centuries, Owens women have been blamed for all that has gone wrong in their Massachusetts town, ever since their ancestor arrived, rich, independent, and soon accused of theft: "And then one day, a farmer winged a crow in his cornfield, a creature who'd been stealing from him shamelessly for months. When Maria Owens appeared the very next morning with her arm in a sling and her white hand wound up in a white bandage, people felt certain they knew the reason why." The aunts are daily ostracized by the same upstanding citizens who sneak to their house at night for magical love cures. To the sisters they are for the most part benevolently absent, though their bell, book, and candle routine makes life a torment for Gillian, beautiful and blonde and lazy, and Sally, who's all too responsible. But when one of the aunts' cures works too well, ending as a curse, the dangers of real love become all too clear. In Hoffman's world being bewitched, bothered, and bewildered is no mere metaphor--and neither is desire. The elbows of one enamored man pucker a linoleum counter, another walks around with singed cuffs. It's difficult to catch the author's power in brief quotes. She needs space and increment to build her exquisite variations of vision and reality, her matter-of-fact announcements of the preternatural. Practical Magic again and again makes one recall the thrill of hearing at bedtime, "Now will I a tale unfold..." --Kerry Fried

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

WELCOME TO MY BOOKSTORE! I OFFER A CAREFULLY SELECTED COLLECTION OF USED, VINTAGE, AND HARD-TO-FIND BOOKS ACROSS A VARIETY OF GENRES. EVERY ITEM IS DESCRIBED HONESTLY AND SHIPPED PROMPTLY WITH CARE. FAST,SECURE SHIPPING-TYPICALLY WITHIN 1 BUSINESS DAY ACURATE DESCRIPTIONS-I AIM FOR TRANSPARENCY IN EVERY LISTING ...? QUESTIONS? I RESPOND QUICKLY AND POLITELY I VALUE EACH CUSTOMER AND STRIVE TO MAKE EVERY PURCHASE SMOOTH AND SATISFYING.THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING A SMALL, INDEPENDENT BOOKSELLER!

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

YESIBOOKSTORE
FL, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

Shipping Terms

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	6 to 19 business days	4 to 12 business days
First item	US$ 0.00	US$ 25.00

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.