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The Magician
A mother-to-be is awed by her own mother’s chaotic and unknowable approach to life and its natural mysteries in a smart, witty, and whimsical story by the New York Times bestselling author of One Italian Summer.
Growing up with an eccentric but loving mother who levitates for a living, Charlie always wondered, How does she do it? Defying gravity is no easy trick. Neither is motherhood. Now that her mother is leaving New York for bigger skies in New Mexico, it’s a new stage in life for both of them in an ever-evolving relationship that reveals the true magic of being a mother.
Rebecca Serle’s The Magician is part of Good Intentions, a riveting collection of stories about the instincts, fears, and fierce love inherent in motherhood from award-winning, bestselling authors. Read or listen to each in a single sitting.
Growing up with an eccentric but loving mother who levitates for a living, Charlie always wondered, How does she do it? Defying gravity is no easy trick. Neither is motherhood. Now that her mother is leaving New York for bigger skies in New Mexico, it’s a new stage in life for both of them in an ever-evolving relationship that reveals the true magic of being a mother.
Rebecca Serle’s The Magician is part of Good Intentions, a riveting collection of stories about the instincts, fears, and fierce love inherent in motherhood from award-winning, bestselling authors. Read or listen to each in a single sitting.
24 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2023
About the author
Rebecca Serle
20 books13.1k followersRebecca Serle is the New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years, The Dinner List, and the young adult novels The Edge of Falling and When You Were Mine. Serle also developed the hit TV adaptation Famous in Love, based on her YA series of the same name. She is a graduate of USC and The New School and lives in Los Angeles. Find out more at RebeccaSerle.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews
May 31, 2026
The Magician is a slice-of-life story about a daughter, Charlie, three months pregnant, and in the middle of a renovation of her tiny NYC apartment. Her mother, Sandra, a levitating magician, has told Charlie she is packing up and moving to New Mexico. Charlie has always viewed her mother as a mystery, but what-the-heck...
Author, Rebecca Serle, offers an interesting perspective on a mother-daughter relationship as both transition into new phases of their lives—Charlie into motherhood and Sandra moving from the only home she has known. And true to her writing style, she offers a little bit of magic along the way.
The Magician is part of the Good Intentions Collection offered exclusively through Amazon and Audible, and free through Prime Reading. The seven short stories, written by bestselling authors, explore the unique characteristics of motherhood. Each story is meant to be read or listened to in one sitting. I chose both options, and the audiobook, narrated by Carlotta Brentan, was my preferred format for this immersive experience. This one is perfect for those who enjoy a well-written 39-minute listen during a short walk!
3.75⭐
Author, Rebecca Serle, offers an interesting perspective on a mother-daughter relationship as both transition into new phases of their lives—Charlie into motherhood and Sandra moving from the only home she has known. And true to her writing style, she offers a little bit of magic along the way.
The Magician is part of the Good Intentions Collection offered exclusively through Amazon and Audible, and free through Prime Reading. The seven short stories, written by bestselling authors, explore the unique characteristics of motherhood. Each story is meant to be read or listened to in one sitting. I chose both options, and the audiobook, narrated by Carlotta Brentan, was my preferred format for this immersive experience. This one is perfect for those who enjoy a well-written 39-minute listen during a short walk!
3.75⭐
June 28, 2024
In a Nutshell: A short story about a mother and daughter ready to begin the next phase of their lives. Interesting from start to end, but it never feels mind-blowing. End result: meh. A one-time read.
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Plot Preview:
This is the first standalone story in the 'Good Intentions’ series, described on Amazon as “a riveting collection of stories about the instincts, fears, and fierce love inherent in motherhood.”
There are many good things about this story. The plot is steady from start to end. The characters are also interesting, what with one magician who has her secrets, one daughter who is apprehensive about the future , one husband who stays calm even in times of stress, and one contractor who seems to be least bothered about his commitments. The plot progression is good, and while there is no settled ending, it is still a decent one.
Despite all this, I was not that impressed.
The story leaves unanswered many things related to characters and their decisions in the past and the present. So somehow, there’s a feeling of incompleteness even after the story is complete. I wish that at least Sandra’s secret to “flying” successfully had been revealed, but like a true magician, she doesn’t spill the beans on her technique. As she was a first-time to-be-grandma, I was surprised how she chose the sixth month of her daughter’s pregnancy to leave the city she had been in all her life. Granted, she has the right to her own life, but surely there should have been some expression of regret for not being there for such a momentous occasion – the birth of her first grandchild.
All in all, this is a decent tale, but not impactful. It had tremendous promise, but it just didn’t meet the potential.
Works for a one-time read. At just 25 pages, it won’t take much of your time, and it won’t even stay in your head for a long time.
2.5 stars.
This standalone story is a part of the ‘Good Intentions’ collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
Kudos to the cover artist! This entire story series has stunning cover art.
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Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Plot Preview:
Charlie’s mom Sandra is a successful magician who has been entertaining audiences for decades. Her special act is when she levitates in air, with no one able to understand how she defies gravity. After all these years in New York, Sandra has now approached Charlie with a bombshell: she is moving to Santa Fe. The timing couldn’t have been worse, as Charlie herself is expecting, and the house where she lives with her husband is still not done with renovations.
The story comes to us in Charlie’s first-person perspective.
This is the first standalone story in the 'Good Intentions’ series, described on Amazon as “a riveting collection of stories about the instincts, fears, and fierce love inherent in motherhood.”
There are many good things about this story. The plot is steady from start to end. The characters are also interesting, what with one magician who has her secrets, one daughter who is apprehensive about the future , one husband who stays calm even in times of stress, and one contractor who seems to be least bothered about his commitments. The plot progression is good, and while there is no settled ending, it is still a decent one.
Despite all this, I was not that impressed.
The story leaves unanswered many things related to characters and their decisions in the past and the present. So somehow, there’s a feeling of incompleteness even after the story is complete. I wish that at least Sandra’s secret to “flying” successfully had been revealed, but like a true magician, she doesn’t spill the beans on her technique. As she was a first-time to-be-grandma, I was surprised how she chose the sixth month of her daughter’s pregnancy to leave the city she had been in all her life. Granted, she has the right to her own life, but surely there should have been some expression of regret for not being there for such a momentous occasion – the birth of her first grandchild.
All in all, this is a decent tale, but not impactful. It had tremendous promise, but it just didn’t meet the potential.
Works for a one-time read. At just 25 pages, it won’t take much of your time, and it won’t even stay in your head for a long time.
2.5 stars.
This standalone story is a part of the ‘Good Intentions’ collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.
Kudos to the cover artist! This entire story series has stunning cover art.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Connect with me through:
My Blog || The StoryGraph || Instagram || X/Twitter || Facebook ||
December 24, 2024
3 "clear and beautiful prose diminished by a cliche yadayada storyline" stars !!
The prose is so darn excellent with beautiful flourishes and loveliness through and through....
The short story is rather cliche and superficial and chicklitty.
A bit of a waste really but I so want to read a longer work as Ms. Serle has artistry that is so very uncommon in women's fiction...
This was sort of like opera diva Rene Fleming attempting Bananarama's Venus !
The prose is so darn excellent with beautiful flourishes and loveliness through and through....
The short story is rather cliche and superficial and chicklitty.
A bit of a waste really but I so want to read a longer work as Ms. Serle has artistry that is so very uncommon in women's fiction...
This was sort of like opera diva Rene Fleming attempting Bananarama's Venus !
December 3, 2023
Why does famous magician Sandra Kramer, a New Yorker to her core, want to leave the city for Santa Fe?? Her daughter Charlie, who adores her mother, desperately doesn’t want her to leave. This is a sweet, lovely, magical story which I really enjoy.
Amazon Good Intentions Collection- available on KU.
Amazon Good Intentions Collection- available on KU.
May 1, 2023
Her Mom The Magician
I thoroughly enjoyed this short book. The magician’s pregnant daughter has to find a way to accept the fact that her beloved mother is moving away. Such a sweet story. I gave this five stars because it brought forth a few tears as I remembered my own mother.
I thoroughly enjoyed this short book. The magician’s pregnant daughter has to find a way to accept the fact that her beloved mother is moving away. Such a sweet story. I gave this five stars because it brought forth a few tears as I remembered my own mother.
April 29, 2023
Mothers are magic. If the magic is strong enough, it can be felt from anywhere. It is passed from mother to child and it will always defy explanation and it always be known and it always be there.
July 14, 2023
I thought the story was sweet, but forgettable. I really enjoyed the narration by Carlotta Brentan though.
April 28, 2023
I want to know how she flies
Great mother-daughter story.
A mother who is a magician, and did I mention she can fly, is moving out of New York, and her daughter is pregnant with her first child.
This is not the greatest description of this tale but the important part is it's about mothers and daughters.
This is a short story that is a comfort and joy to read.
Great mother-daughter story.
A mother who is a magician, and did I mention she can fly, is moving out of New York, and her daughter is pregnant with her first child.
This is not the greatest description of this tale but the important part is it's about mothers and daughters.
This is a short story that is a comfort and joy to read.
October 27, 2023
4.5⭑
This was such a heartwarming short story.
This was such a heartwarming short story.
April 6, 2025
Very economical story of a mother/daughter relationship in which they both come of age.
March 4, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
January 14, 2024
This is a short story (Amazon original).
It is set in New York City. Charlie is pregnant. Her mom is a famous magician.
Even though this story is super short I still really enjoyed it, I loved that her mother’s act is that she flies. And that Charlie has no idea how she levitates. I just wish that the story had been longer. I wanted more.
It is set in New York City. Charlie is pregnant. Her mom is a famous magician.
Even though this story is super short I still really enjoyed it, I loved that her mother’s act is that she flies. And that Charlie has no idea how she levitates. I just wish that the story had been longer. I wanted more.
June 16, 2026
Perhaps at the end of the day, a daughter will always long for her mother.
that hurt my feelings, goodnight
that hurt my feelings, goodnight
January 29, 2024
A short story exploring a young woman’s feelings when her Mother, a famous NYC magician, decides to retire and move out west.
May 7, 2023
Watching your mother in a professional setting and knowing her offstage as well. An interesting setting for motherhood questions.
June 15, 2023
Nice light read
I appreciate this book, a light and comfy read. A mother's love the greatest ever. Gratefulness and love. I would suggesr
I appreciate this book, a light and comfy read. A mother's love the greatest ever. Gratefulness and love. I would suggesr
April 29, 2023
Motherhood, like flying, unfortunately, doesn't come with a manual.
In this bittersweet story with an uplifting ending, Charlie's seventy-something mother, Sandra Kramer, is a renowned New York magician who decides to retire from her levitation act and change states as Charlie prepares for motherhood.
Charlie's story resonated with me. In the end, her mother's generosity to Charlie and her new family may have been an effort to make up for not being fully present during her childhood. I feel that their relationship would have benefited if her mother had verbally acknowledged her regrets and shortcomings. It made me wonder if Sandra Kramer truly understood how her daughter felt.
This story made me reflect on my intentions and actions as a mother. Great read!
In this bittersweet story with an uplifting ending, Charlie's seventy-something mother, Sandra Kramer, is a renowned New York magician who decides to retire from her levitation act and change states as Charlie prepares for motherhood.
Charlie's story resonated with me. In the end, her mother's generosity to Charlie and her new family may have been an effort to make up for not being fully present during her childhood. I feel that their relationship would have benefited if her mother had verbally acknowledged her regrets and shortcomings. It made me wonder if Sandra Kramer truly understood how her daughter felt.
This story made me reflect on my intentions and actions as a mother. Great read!
May 9, 2023
A series of 7 books from kindle unlimited that shows a mother's love. Just in time for Mother's Day!
January 15, 2026
Famous magician Sandra Kramer has spent her entire life in New York; she is the city, as her daughter Charlie says. But now she’s planning to leave; give one final performance and then retire, with partner Carl, to Santa Fe. Charlie’s not happy about it at all. She’s six months pregnant with her first child, living with laid-back husband Seth in an apartment which seems to get further every day from a much-needed renovation. She’s always had a close relationship with her mother, and can’t bear the thought of their impending separation; but set on going Sandra is, and Charlie has to come to terms with the idea.
The meaning to this short story seems as unknowable as the mechanics of the magician’s trick of levitation—and for that reason I loved it, although other reviewers weren’t so happy. Perhaps the meaning’s in Sandra’s top trick, the finale to every show, the one that the audiences come for—and to say she levitates is to understate the case. She flies, twenty feet in the air, defying gravity, performing the trick, for fifteen years, at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York.
I won’t reveal her words and situation at the end of the story, but for me that’s the trick. Whatever it may be—and perhaps even the author doesn’t know—it’s magic.
The meaning to this short story seems as unknowable as the mechanics of the magician’s trick of levitation—and for that reason I loved it, although other reviewers weren’t so happy. Perhaps the meaning’s in Sandra’s top trick, the finale to every show, the one that the audiences come for—and to say she levitates is to understate the case. She flies, twenty feet in the air, defying gravity, performing the trick, for fifteen years, at the Cherry Lane Theatre in New York.
I won’t reveal her words and situation at the end of the story, but for me that’s the trick. Whatever it may be—and perhaps even the author doesn’t know—it’s magic.
September 1, 2023
This is a part of an Amazon short stories collection about motherhood.
Didn’t expect to shed that many tears. Motherhood is magic 🪄
Didn’t expect to shed that many tears. Motherhood is magic 🪄
October 30, 2024
What a warm, wonderful story about a special mother-daughter relationship. I loved every minute of it and was sad that it was only a short story and not a full novel: I still have so many questions!
January 9, 2024
4 🌟
I'm not usually one for short stories but I was intrigued by this series of stories about motherhood. Cute read
I'm not usually one for short stories but I was intrigued by this series of stories about motherhood. Cute read
July 14, 2024
A fantastically cute, bittersweet, but loving story about the bond between a mother and daughter, with a touch of magic. I absolutely loved this.
Read
September 21, 2025Short but beautiful. How do I unknowingly magnate to mother/daughter stories?
May 3, 2023
These Amazon Shorts Collection can be hit or miss for me.
However, The Magician, the first in the Good Intentions collection, was better than I expected.
Buying a house just before COVID practically shut the entire world down may not have been the smartest idea for Charlie and Seth, especially as they have a baby on the way and the house is far from finished. Then, out of nowhere, her mother decides to move from their beloved NYC, where she's always lived, to New Mexico with her partner, Carl.
Serles' take on a daughter not wanting to let go of her mother really touched something in me. Twice I've moved away from my mother and it can be like losing a limb when you're far away from the first person you loved. I wanted to hug Charlie and tell her that things will work out the way they're supposed to and that her mother, a magician, sounds absolutely amazing.
However, The Magician, the first in the Good Intentions collection, was better than I expected.
Buying a house just before COVID practically shut the entire world down may not have been the smartest idea for Charlie and Seth, especially as they have a baby on the way and the house is far from finished. Then, out of nowhere, her mother decides to move from their beloved NYC, where she's always lived, to New Mexico with her partner, Carl.
Serles' take on a daughter not wanting to let go of her mother really touched something in me. Twice I've moved away from my mother and it can be like losing a limb when you're far away from the first person you loved. I wanted to hug Charlie and tell her that things will work out the way they're supposed to and that her mother, a magician, sounds absolutely amazing.
January 29, 2024
I really enjoyed this! A heart-warming dynamic between a famous NYC magician mother and her adult daughter, exploring the uncertainties of inevitable change.
"Watching their faces watching her gave me a sense of discomfort I felt I was trying to solve. Like being off-balance but never quite falling. I wanted to know what they saw when they looked at her. Did they feel as connected to her as I did? Did they have as much access as me? I didn’t want to be just an audience member. I wanted to be her daughter."
"She looks to me. She wants to know. I think about telling her my fear. That my child will not truly know me without knowing her. That in order to be a mother, I need mine."
"Watching their faces watching her gave me a sense of discomfort I felt I was trying to solve. Like being off-balance but never quite falling. I wanted to know what they saw when they looked at her. Did they feel as connected to her as I did? Did they have as much access as me? I didn’t want to be just an audience member. I wanted to be her daughter."
"She looks to me. She wants to know. I think about telling her my fear. That my child will not truly know me without knowing her. That in order to be a mother, I need mine."
November 30, 2023
She looks to me. She wants to know. I think about telling her my fear. That my child will not truly know me without knowing her. That in order to be a mother, I need mine.
Charlie would keep asking herself until the day she dies how her mom can actually fly. How is it possible for her to do magic so effortlessly.
The meaning of the work magic can be very different for her and for us.
“Are you up there?” I ask her.
I hear the wind through the phone.
Charlie would keep asking herself until the day she dies how her mom can actually fly. How is it possible for her to do magic so effortlessly.
The meaning of the work magic can be very different for her and for us.
“Are you up there?” I ask her.
I hear the wind through the phone.
December 29, 2023
Sweet and simple with a little bit of magic. A quick read about a mother and a daughter where the mother is this awe-inspiring person that the daughter admires in all facets. Sweet story but little thematic intrigue for me, but overall enjoyable.
March 17, 2024
This will be the shortest book I read in 2024. It’s so short I finished in 20 minutes on Kindle. But for a short book, it has some profound words that really spoke to me. Such a sweet, lovely story about motherhood and mother-daughter relationship. 4-4.5 🌟
February 5, 2025
A sweet short story about a soon to be mother coming to terms with her own mother moving away. I typically love anything Rebecca Serle writes but unfortunately, this one needed to be longer for me to get invested. It was still sweet and well written, just not everything I expect from Serle.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 247 reviews