Alice Hoffman, author of the beloved 1995 novel “Practical Magic,” has returned to the theme of witchcraft and female bonds in her latest book, “The Witches of Cambridge,” released this month. The novel is set across two time periods: Puritan New England and 1950s Cambridge, Massachusetts, and explores themes of friendship, magic, and societal outsider status.
Hoffman, 74, has long been associated with stories centered on witches, a connection she says only became clear to her over time. “I didn’t want to be that person [an outsider],” she said in a recent interview. “But what’s a normal life?” Her original novel, “Practical Magic,” portrayed the Owens sisters, Sally and Gillian, who grapple with their family curse that dooms any man who falls in love with them. The book’s 1998 film adaptation, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, initially underperformed but gradually became a cult favorite, resonating with audiences through its portrayal of women supporting one another amid hardship.
Hoffman credits the story’s enduring appeal partly to a cultural desire for female-centered communities, noting that the concept of a “coven” struck a chord well before it became widely popular. Over the years, Hoffman expanded the Owens family saga through additional novels, including “The Rules of Magic” (2017), “Magic Lessons” (2020), and “The Book of Magic” (2021), which served as the basis for the recent film sequel “Practical Magic 2.”
The genesis of “The Witches of Cambridge” traces back to Hoffman’s time as a Harvard Divinity School student, from which she graduated in 2024. What began as a term paper on Increase Mather, a Puritan leader involved in the Salem witch trials and an early president of Harvard, evolved into a fictional narrative exploring the lives of two Radcliffe College friends in the 1950s. The story touches on McCarthyism and integrates historical and magical elements. Hoffman conducted extensive research, including visits to the Schlesinger Library and archives at Harvard’s Museum of Natural History.
Unlike her earlier work, Hoffman aimed to focus on friendship as a form of chosen family rather than blood relations. The characters Ava, who discovers her witch heritage, and Lauren, whose boldness draws her into darker magic, navigate a world marked by fear and suspicion.
Hoffman reflects on the blurred lines between magic, science, and religion. “Isn’t it all magic? Whether it’s the weather or falling in love with somebody. How does that happen?” she remarked.
Her career, spanning more than 30 novels, began at age 21 with “Property Of,” a story of adolescent romance set against a backdrop of class conflict. Throughout her writing, Hoffman has often explored themes of grief, betrayal, and love, while incorporating magical realism to illuminate the lives of outsiders, a perspective shaped by her own childhood experiences on Long Island in the 1950s.
Despite early challenges, including conflicts with editors who questioned the literary merit of witchcraft themes, Hoffman has remained committed to her distinctive voice. The continued popularity of “Practical Magic” and its adaptations stands as a testament to the lasting connection readers have found in her stories of female empowerment and the mystical.