You would think after Alice Hoffman’s Practical Magic was such a disappointment that I would not read any other book compared to it. While I probably will not put such high expectations on another Alice Hoffman book, I certainly would read another book about a family filled with magical women in a small town dealing with love, loss, and what it means to be different.
Ten years ago, Carrie Morgan ran away from her hometown of Woodsmoke. But now her grandmother Ivy has passed away, leaving Carrie her old cottage and the stipulation that she renovate it. When Carrie returns to Woodsmoke, she finds that much has changed since she left, but her legacy as a Morgan woman, with the magic of the mysterious old mountains flowing through her blood, has not changed. Carrie renovates the cottage with the help of Matthieu, a mysterious transient man who appears and disappears almost like magic. Carrie’s great-aunt Cora suspects that Matthieu is a spirit who, per the mountain legend, will disappear at the first sign of spring. But Carrie does not truly believe in those stories, and she has bigger problems to deal with in the meantime.
I will agree, this book has Practical Magic vibes, particularly of a family of women with magical abilities who are both beloved and distrusted by their small town. However, no one but Cora really engages with the Morgan magic, so the legends and spells passed down through the Morgan family compendium feel more like family secrets than true magic. We hear talk of workings done before the mountains, but never see them for ourselves, turning the magic into an alluring mystery.
I love stories where mysterious magic is in conflict with reason. Cora so vehemently believes in the compendium’s magic, but because no one has seen her work magic, or has seen the consequences of that magic for themselves, then people wonder whether it’s real. But there is enough superstition and legend surrounding the family that most people keep their distance anyway.
There is one legend in the book talking about a man coming down from the mountains for the winter who will steal a Morgan woman’s heart before disappearing in the spring, breaking her heart. Cora sees echoes of that legend when Carrie meets Matthieu, so she tries to caution Carrie against getting too close to him. But Carrie is so desperate for a new connection after returning to Woodsmoke that she refuses to believe the legend, despite there being evidence of a couple of Morgan women falling for the same trick.
That is a perfect example of someone wanting to reject the idea of dangerous but beautiful magic, while other people take the magic seriously. Because if you don’t greet the mountains when you enter Woodsmoke, you run the risk of becoming cursed. And every time you perform magic in the mountain’s shadow, they will take something in exchange for their magic.
It’s lore like that that gives a town like Woodsmoke so much life, and the push-and-pull between reality and legend is so interesting.
Carrie’s return to Woodsmoke has repercussions for several people, including her ex-best friend Jess, who is now married to Carrie’s childhood sweetheart Tom. Jess worries about Tom and Carrie’s connection rekindling despite the good domestic life that she and Tom have built, while Tom dredges up old memories of him and Carrie.
But in the end, the focus comes back to the struggle between the mundane and the magical. Someone may claim to not believe in the magic, but their desperation drives them to ask for a spell that has unintended consequences. I always find that so interesting. Any magical practitioner will tell you that magic of all sorts has consequences, but strong emotions and desires can drive us to take all kinds of risks, even if the outcome is not what we intend and people get hurt because of it.
I think this book executes the themes that Practical Magic tried to convey much better. I feel closer to the characters and their struggles, with magic playing a much larger role. It doesn’t just tell about the Morgan women: it takes us deep into how their very human desires and intentions, while good, didn’t always lead to happy endings. How their desires clashed with the powerful will of the mountains.
Every character’s arc is compelling and relatable. Cora, though built with a core of steel, harbors a profound desire for a child, though she could never bear one. She does what she can to steer her grand-niece Carrie toward the magic that Cora loves so much, but it doesn’t turn out that way. Jess hates Carrie for leaving Woodsmoke, but wants so much to rekindle what they once had to atone for something she did. And Carrie is simply trying to find a place she belongs in, escaping her Morgan legacy and finding soulful connection on the way.
Although the book takes place mostly in winter, this is a story to enjoy somewhere out in nature. I took this book outside with me onto my balcony or a nature park, and the sounds of nature were a wonderful ambience for this story. It reminds the reader of the ancient power of nature, be it in trees, in the soil, or in the mountains, and that we must always offer respect and reverence to it.
I came to this book looking for a romantic magical adventure, and I’d say I got what I wanted. Was it exactly what I imagined? No, but that’s no bad thing, especially when it got me to go outside and ponder what power nature has when we listen and believe.
The Library Key 