Alice Hoffman, author of the widely acclaimed novel “Practical Magic,” has returned with a new work exploring themes of female friendship and the complexities of magic. Her latest novel, “The Witches of Cambridge,” released this month, is set in both 1950s America and Puritan-era New England, weaving historical elements with a narrative about women bound by witchcraft and loyalty.

Hoffman, now 74, has noted a lifelong sense of being an outsider, which she believes has informed much of her writing. She discussed in a recent interview how her early experiences and evolving identity connected deeply with the characters she created, particularly the Owens sisters—Sally and Gillian—in “Practical Magic.” The story of these two witch sisters and their family curse, which brings death to any man who falls in love with an Owens woman, served as a foundation for a series that would span decades and continue to resonate with audiences.

First published in the late 1980s, “Practical Magic” gained wider recognition through its 1998 film adaptation starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman. Though the movie initially struggled at the box office, it gradually became a cult classic, celebrated for its portrayal of sisterhood and the power of female community. Hoffman credits this enduring appeal to a hunger for narratives centered on women supporting each other, a theme that has steadily gained cultural significance since the film’s release.

Hoffman recounted the challenges she faced early in her career when editing pressures pushed her to alter the novel’s witchcraft elements, which were then seen as nonliterary. Choosing to maintain her creative vision, she parted ways with her editor and continued to write on her own terms. Her work subsequently expanded to include three more books related to the Owens family, delving further into magical realism and the coexistence of the ordinary with the mystical.

“The Witches of Cambridge” moves beyond sisterhood, focusing instead on friendship as a form of chosen family. The story follows two women attending Radcliffe College during the height of McCarthyism, one discovering her witch heritage and the other exploring darker magical paths. The novel also incorporates the historical figure Increase Mather, a Puritan clergyman involved in the Salem witch trials, whose life Hoffman examined initially as a term paper during her time at Harvard Divinity School.

Hoffman completed her divinity degree in 2024, an experience that inspired her to blend historical research, feminism, and spirituality in her latest fiction. She conducted extensive research at Harvard’s archives and museums, reflecting on the intersections of magic, science, and religion in American history.

Over a writing career spanning more than 30 novels, Hoffman has become known for her ability to find “kernels of history” and craft immersive worlds around them without didacticism, according to her long-time editor Marysue Rucci. Hoffman’s works, including her new novel, continue to explore themes of grief, love, and resilience, underscoring her belief that elements such as fate and magic often intertwine in unexpected ways.