53 pages • 1 hour read
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Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.
1. What drew you most powerfully to the world Hoffman creates in this prequel to Practical Magic? How does knowing this is the backstory of Frances and Jet influence your reading experience compared to other prequels you’ve encountered?
2. The Owens family curse creates a central tension throughout the novel. How effectively does Hoffman balance the magical elements with the very human struggles of adolescence and young adulthood?
3. Did you find the ending satisfying in terms of how it sets up the events of Practical Magic? What emotions did you experience as Sally and Gillian arrived at the Magnolia Street house?
Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.
1. Susanna desperately tries to protect her children from their magical heritage by denying it entirely. Have you ever experienced family members trying to shield you from certain aspects of your identity or heritage, and how did that impact your understanding of yourself?
2. Which sibling’s approach to the family curse resonated most with you? How do Frances’s protective instincts, Jet’s romantic devotion, and Vincent’s rebellious escape attempts reflect different ways people cope with inherited burdens?
3. The novel explores how love can feel like a blessing and a threat to the Owens family. How do their fears about romantic relationships reflect broader anxieties people have about opening their hearts to others?
4. What aspects of Vincent’s journey toward self-acceptance spoke to you? How does his experience as a male in a matrilineal family and a gay man in the 1960s illuminate the challenges of embracing multiple identities?
5. Frances makes significant sacrifices to protect and care for her siblings after their parents’ death. How do you balance personal dreams with family responsibility in your life?
6. Jet remains devoted to Levi’s memory throughout her life, never allowing herself to love again. What do you think about her choice to honor that first love rather than seek new romantic connections?
Examine the book’s relevance to societal issues, historical events, or cultural themes.
1. The novel is set against the backdrop of 1960s social changes, from the Summer of Love to the Stonewall riots. How does Hoffman use this historical context to explore themes of acceptance and marginalization?
2. The townspeople both fear and depend on the Owens women for their midnight cures. What parallels do you see between this dynamic and how society treats marginalized groups that provide essential services?
3. How does Reverend Willard’s evolution from the persecution of the Owens family to his eventual reconciliation with them reflect broader social progress? What does this transformation suggest about the possibility of healing historical wounds?
Dive into the book’s structure, characters, themes, and symbolism.
1. How does Hoffman’s approach to magical realism compare to other family sagas like Gabriel García Márquez’s One Hundred Years of Solitude? What makes her blend of the supernatural and everyday life distinctive in its portrayal of generational trauma and healing?
2. What significance does the Magnolia Street household throughout the novel? How does this ancestral home transform from a place of exile in the children’s minds to a sanctuary they choose to inhabit?
3. Plant cures appear as a recurring motif connecting the Owens women across generations. How do these slow, careful healing practices contrast with the instant magic of spells and curses, and what does this contrast reveal about different approaches to power?
4. Frances transforms from a rebellious teenager who wants to fly away with birds into a protective matriarch who opens her home to orphaned relatives. How does Hoffman develop this character arc, and what does it reveal about the nature of finding one’s true calling?
5. The novel spans several decades and shifts between multiple perspectives and timelines. How does this structure serve the story Hoffman wants to tell about family legacy and individual choice?
6. What role does foreshadowing play in building tension throughout the novel? How does knowing certain characters are destined for tragedy affect your engagement with their love stories and personal journeys?
Encourage imaginative and creative connections to the book.
1. Design a modern-day version of the Owens family’s midnight plant cure service. What would it look like? How might you adapt their healing practice to contemporary needs while maintaining their connection to ancestral wisdom?
2. Vincent chooses to fake his death and assume a new identity to escape both the draft and the family curse. Devise an alternative solution for this seemingly impossible situation that allows the Owens siblings to stay true to themselves.
3. Create a family grimoire like the one Frances and Jet inherit from Maria Owens. What wisdom, warnings, or protective practices would you include for future generations facing their own inherited challenges?
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By Alice Hoffman