The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman

The Rules of Magic is the first book of the season for the Inspired by Reading group, and a good choice for October. It's a sequel to Hoffman's Practical Magic, and while there were some contradictions between the books and the timeline doesn't make sense, I enjoyed it as much as the first one.

The story centers around Jet and Franny (the aunts from Practical Magic) and their brother Vincent as they grow up and come to terms with their magical and familial legacies. Despite the lush prose, there is a lot of ugliness and violence depicted – the Vietnam war, the way outcasts are treated, the innocent people who suffer from the results of ill-advised spells, the birds killed for a heart or broken wing. But also a lot of beauty – the gardens and parks the characters keep returning to, the love they feel for each other, and most movingly, the true grace shown over the course of Jet and the Reverend’s relationship. It's that love for another, whatever form it takes, that makes life worth living in the face of suffering.

Franny and Jet make a living growing herbs and selling potions, and my inspiration came from that. I filled a tiny bottle with dried rosemary and lavender bud, adding a sprinkling of seed beads for sparkle. I strung the vial on brass chain and a length of purple faceted glass.

Hoffman has indicated she has other stories to tell about the Owens family; I look forward to reading more.