42 pages 1 hour read

Alice Hoffman

Practical Magic

Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1995

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Part 3Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Part 3 Summary: “Clairvoyance”

Things begin going wrong at Sally’s house, which Sally and Gillian attribute to bad luck. They both lose things, including Gillian’s favorite boots and Sally’s favorite earrings. Ben Frye pursues Gillian, calling her often and sitting outside waiting for her, but she puts him off because she feels she doesn’t deserve him. Ben practices stage magic, and he finds that his stage magic starts appearing when he least expects it.

Meanwhile, Antonia is losing interest in her appearance. At work, she meets an old schoolmate named Scott who’s come home from college. She confesses that she thought she was in love with Ben, and Scott disregards the concept of love. Antonia invites him to come back and see her again. Kylie is missing Gideon but refuses to make amends. She watches two women outside her window staring at the lilacs, able to sense their feelings and their pasts. She also watches Jimmy’s ghost, who is now causing havoc in the house. One day, Sally accosts Gillian and accuses her of stealing her earrings. They have an explosive argument, and Kylie tells them about the ghost. Sally realizes Kylie has a sensory gift, and Sally and Gillian tell her about Jimmy.