The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
The sisters Frances and Jet and their brother Vincent, the aunts from Practical Magic, are introduced in this delightful prequel. With Franny’s milk-pale skin and blood-red hair and her ability to communicate with birds, as well as Jet, who is as shy as she is beautiful and who is perceptive, their mother Susanna knew right away that they were special. Vincent, who is so charismatic that he was made for trouble, was also special. Susanna had to establish some ground rules for magic: no reading books on magic, no wearing red shoes, no wearing black, no cats, no crows, no candles, and definitely, positively, no wandering in the moonlight.
The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
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The Owens siblings, however, are eager to learn more about who they truly are. Each takes a path that will change their lives, one that is full of magic and love, as well as secrets and truths, sorrow and joy. Despite the centuries-old warning that had been passed down through the family, Know that love is a curse for our family and that they will all try to defy the odds to discover genuine love.
The Rules of Magic starts with Francis—Franny—and Bridget—Jet—as little children in New York and follows them throughout their careers. It ends with a call from a sombre young girl named Sally Owens who had recently lost her parents, just as Practical Magic got started. Similar to its predecessor, it is rife with examples of magical realism and tales of the perils that come with magic, love, and living. Vincent, a sibling of Franny and Jet, too had a tragically beautiful story that, in my opinion, stands out among the others.
The Rules of Magic realistically illuminates sibling relationships. How accurate can a tale about a witch family be? That’s true, but even if you ignore the magic, Franny, Jet, and Vincent can make you think of your own family. They rely on one another because each person is peculiar in their own way, which has kept them apart from true friendships. The three are aware of one another’s secrets and guard them. They worry about one another and work to protect their younger siblings. Like all siblings, there are also feelings of resentment and envy. Jet once grants Franny a selfish wish, which permanently changes all of their lives. Of course, they are all doomed to bear the family curse and never fall in love.
Hoffman does a fantastic job constructing a narrative around magical components. As we watch Franny, Jet, and Vincent come to terms with who they are and eventually become at ease with it, The Rules of Magic immerses the reader in a different world in both large and subtle ways. The three change over the narrative from disobedient teenagers to strange adults attempting to get by while living under a family curse.
