Magic Lessons by Alice Hoffman

This is a prequel to her other books about the Owens witches but you can enjoy it as a standalone. It is a quiet book about good magic, bad men, love and loss. This is the first time I have read a book about the ill treatment of witches in Salem and elsewhere and still consider it to be gently written. Such is the magic of Alice Hoffman's writing. She takes a group of good women with kind hearts and shows us what can happen to them in a world filled with jealous self righteous zealots. We fear what we don't understand so we get rid of what we fear. As an added bonus, there are many old folk remedies using plants and herbs that solve a variety of ailments. I wish she had included recipes for the many unusual teas.   4 1/2 stars