The Rules of Magic

The Rules of Magic by Alice Hoffman
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Prequel to later book, the story stands on its own. Each character develops over the course of the story and often in response to their own experiences, perspectives, and personalities. Two sisters and a brother begin their journey as they understand their own powers and gifts. The pivotal beginning is the invitation to the aunt's house for the summer where the children are taught rather loosely their own history and the rules of magic. It is their coming of age summer even though they are 18, 17, and 14. Their beginnings as who they will become happen then.

The story is told over a generation of time. The girls of this story become the aged aunts of a more familiar Alice Hoffman novel. Lovely book that simply couldn't have evolved any other way. Really enjoyed it.