This week we are discussing Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman, pg. 193-End.
Spoiler Warning!!! This post is full of spoilers for Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman.
Trigger/Content Warning!!! This book has scenes and discussion of such themes as: sexual assault, domestic abuse, death by drug use, and animal death.
Discussion:
Michaela: Hello friends and welcome to our final discussion of Practical Magic! I was so excited to finish this book. I truly loved this book. It was one of those books that while reading it I was so concerned for everyone that I really didn’t know how much I liked the book. But after finishing it I felt such a surge of love for the story and the characters. It felt like so much happened in this last section of the book, a lot of emotional things. We opened with Gideon finding out his mother has gotten engaged and they’ll be moving so he’ll have to start a new school (Jac and I both know the torture that moving and starting new schools can be multiple times over). But after hearing the news Gideon ran straight to Kylie, it really just warmed my heart that they finally made up.
Jacilyn: I’m so glad that Gideon ran to Kylie. I was halfway scared that the assault Kylie suffered when she tried to go to him before would prevent them from rekindling their friendship again. I thought it was really sweet that Gideon brought his chess set with him, as that was always their thing. Kylie’s burst of intuition as they walked away from the Owens house was curious, feeling that if she kept walking away that things would change forever. I wonder, if she would have been at the home when Gary appeared, if it would have changed the way things went down, and that’s what her intuition was telling her?
I found it interesting that even all the way from Arizona, the pull of fate reached Gary and brought him to Sally. As unlucky as the Owens may initially seem in love, the bonds that are born when they finally accept the love they deserve are no less than magical. I truly believe that if Gary had not showed up at the doorstep, they would have continued to be haunted by Jimmy’s spirit. The fear and uncertainty would always be there, and Jimmy’s spirit fed off of that. Plus - it took a lot of strength for Sally and Gillian to call the aunts and ask for help, and I don’t think they would have been able to do that without knowing that whatever was going on with Jimmy was going to come to a conclusion for better or worse, and soon.
Michaela: I don’t know what would have changed had she been there but I’m sure something would have. I wonder if she was just sensing Gary’s arrival and how much it would ignite the change in everything, especially for Sally. Gary’s arrival spurred on finally getting rid of Jimmy which brought on reuniting with the aunts, which brought on a whole new family dynamic. Everything about their lives changed because Gary showed up to investigate Jimmy.
I am so intrigued by the magic and fate system of this universe. It is incredibly strong and it really is trying to work towards the Owens being happy. Bad things happen to them but then there’s magic trying to show them, warn them, or help them. I can’t get enough of the magicalness of this book. In any other circumstance a man investigating a drug dealer, (which I’m not even kind of surprised Jimmy sold dirty drugs to college kids, not even a little) falling in love with a women he’s never met through a letter is entirely insane and him traveling all the way to the opposite coast to meet her, would be actually really weird and creepy but because we know it’s this magic bringing them together it all of a sudden is completely logic to us as readers.
But then it’s not only Gary who has this weird trigger of affection but so does Sally. She can’t stop looking at him. She can’t even lie to him. It’s such a strong connection and really is paralleled with how Gillian and Ben gravitated towards one another. It’s so quick and so fierce no one can escape it.
Jacilyn: It’s precisely because of that that I wasn’t expecting anything bad to happen, even if Sally had spilled her guts right then and there in the kitchen. It was interesting seeing Gillian and Sally switch roles in that scene, too. Just like when Sally went into her depression and Gillian pulled her out, Sally lost all sense of self preservation and Gillian had to jump in… not that it worked, of course, especially once the ring appeared. Gary seems like a good detective, with a genuine moral compass and in my opinion, he made the right decision in planting the ring. No matter how Jimmy died (still shook that it wasn’t actually Gillian’s fault), he was no longer a danger to anyone, and Gillian had nothing to do with the death of those poor students.
I did almost expect Sally to get hit by lightning when she went to find Gary, though, not going to lie. Somehow, what actually happened is almost the exact opposite of that? Sally spills her guts in the car, and then they have a nice old-fashioned makeout sesh in the car. I really expected Gary to stay in town after that, not gonna lie.
Michaela: I agree, I think Gary is a really good detective and I loved his background story. I thought it was really interesting that he was struck by lightning and Aunt Jett’s boyfriend died by being struck by lightning when they were 16 years old. It’s a weird little parallel there.
I was expecting something bad to happen to Sally when she was going to find Gary. But then when they were together I was like ‘bring on the spice’. It was ultimately not very spicy but it was very nice to finally see Sally being an actively emotional woman. Sally has spent so long being mom and big sister that she has kind of lost herself in it. So seeing her let go for even a brief moment was amazing. I was really expecting Gary to come back to the house with Sally and help them get rid of the body but the girls calling the aunts was so much better. When they decided they had to call the aunts I was so excited. Finally reunited! I think everyone needed that resolution with the family relationships.
I absolutely love how quickly and willingly the aunts came to help. I also really enjoyed getting a little snippet into the aunts' points of view. This was really the first time we’ve had that with the aunts, for the rest of the book they were this entity that we read about through other characters. But they’re people. With names! I was actually shocked at learning their names, not going to lie. I was fully expecting them to remain a nameless entity throughout the end of the book. I loved reading about how they’re daily schedules changed when the girls came to them. It was really heartwarming to see how much these two women fully took on two little girls and loved taking care of them.
Jacilyn: I was so surprised that the aunts had names, and that they really loved Gillian and Sally as well as they were able to. Based on what we’ve read, I’d guess that Gillian and Sally couldn’t see them as they truly were because they felt that the magic the aunts personified was the source of their childhood trauma - the awful bullying they both endured as children. It breaks my heart, though, because I think their lives would have been better had they embraced the aunts from the get-go. But, it’s easy for me to say that as a reader, and a lot harder to make those actual decisions when you’ve suffered that trauma.
I love that the aunts show up with a suitcase full of lye, ready to get rid of a body, no questions asked. The process of getting rid of Jimmy was so emotional and I was almost worried it wasn’t going to work - but it did! And it was something all of the Owens women did together, and I think that in itself worked some magic of its own. I found Frances and Jet to be fascinating and surprisingly unique, considering they were portrayed as a one entity throughout the rest of the book. And the interaction they had with Gillian when they first arrived made me cry. For them to look at her and see a strong woman… she needed that from them. They’ve always loved her, and theirs was just another love she refused to believe she was deserving of. Of course, they loved Ben as well. He charmed them through and through, just like he did Gillian.
Michaela: I think Gillian and Sally needed reassurance from the aunts that they were going to be there for them and acknowledge that they were strong women. Sally was nervous that the aunts wouldn’t like her house or her life she worked so hard to have. Gillian was worried the aunts would think she was a failure and weak. But none of that was true, the aunts love them for who they are and think they’re smart, successful, and beautiful women. The reunion scene was really emotional for me as a reader. Finally all these women are coming back together and getting some comfort and closure. Excuse me while I weep with joy!
I loved that getting rid of Jimmy really only took a bit of science. I think the magic came from the women doing it together but getting rid of Jimmy’s body was just science. I think this shows how integrated magic is into the science of the world. If you guys couldn’t tell, I am indeed obsessed with the magic system still. It’s just so good and so subtle. I love that Kylie could see his aura just disappear in the air. What a relief. You could really feel the relief of every character after that scene.
Then we get to see everyone a few months later all meeting up for Thanksgiving. Pure beauty. Everyone was so cheerful. Then Sally and Gillian acting like sisters again and running to find out what happened to the ice cream woman. It just really brought us back to their original relationship with each other. Again a wonderful moment of closure and balance. Also appreciated that we got to know what happened to the ice cream woman. She went on to have a good life in Florida, get it girl. Then closing out the book with Gary showing back up. My whole heart. I was so happy for everyone at the end of this book which was really nice to read since I felt so on edge throughout most of the book. And I must say that the last few lines of this book are some of the best lines I’ve ever read as an ending. It was so poetic and cozy and magical and happy and quirky.
Jacilyn: It almost felt like Sally and Gillian needed that closure with the woman from the ice cream shop as well. Their reactions when they found out that she was living in Florida with a new husband were almost hysterical, but I think the confirmation that this woman wasn’t still miserable meant a lot to Sally and Gillian - it was reassurance that they could have that still as well, no matter what magic has been involved.
I love that the book ended with such a lovely reunion of all of the women and the men that had become so important to them, and Gillian calling Gary to surprise Sally…. My heart burst, especially when Sally first thought it was the aunts using their magic again. Once Gary arrived, it felt like everyone was where they were supposed to be, and that everything was going to be okay. This book really did turn out to be the perfect choice for the holiday season. Thank you for joining us, readers!
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