Review by Tabitha_jay -- The Reel Sisters
Posted: 29 Feb 2020, 07:14
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Reel Sisters" by Michelle Cummings.]
Four women fly-fishing, hoping to net enough fish to keep them happy, and spend a refreshing time on the river. Little did they know they’ll have something bigger on their hands –a naked young woman, all by herself carried in the current of a freezing cold river!
Weaving through the themes of friendship, change, women empowerment, self-discovery, among others, Michelle Cummings builds her story upon the association of five women from literally different walks of life. Rose is a widow and fly-fishing veteran. Veronica is an executives’ coach and wife to Thatcher, a chef and restaurant-owner. Amanda is an elementary school teacher, mother of two and is married to Mike, a soldier. Sophie on the other hand is single, recovering from a colossal heartbreak and finally learning to love again. She runs a greenhouse and nursery. Melody is a young independent photographer, swept into the group during an outdoor photography session.
In The Reel Sisters, Michelle Cummings successfully creates a rich friendship among these five women based on their discovery of and love for fly-fishing, a sport not particularly considered popular with women. Cummings’ novel breathes women empowerment in so many ways. With the subtle gender role reversals in the book –which I especially like – I felt like she took female gender stereotypes and flipped them beautifully.
What I liked most about the book, perhaps is its ending. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but I have always liked fiction ending with a ‘happy-sad mix’. I believe they help people understand that stories don't always end perfectly happy and that dealing with the negatives is just a part of life. That being said, what I disliked most about the book is a few chapters with so much background story about the characters. I feel it could have been spread within the book to make the information less boring and easier to assimilate.
I'll give this book a 3 out of 4 stars rating because, apart from the few chapters I was tempted to skip, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and even found it hard to put down near the end.
I'll recommend this book to anyone, especially women of all ages. Michelle Cummings' book provide a refreshing insight into the multifaceted nature of women and their relationships. Her female characters are models for strong women everywhere. The book also provides some valuable information about the sport of fly-fishing. If you are interested in the sport, I think reading this book will be very good for you and it could form an important link for your attachment to the sport.
******
The Reel Sisters
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Four women fly-fishing, hoping to net enough fish to keep them happy, and spend a refreshing time on the river. Little did they know they’ll have something bigger on their hands –a naked young woman, all by herself carried in the current of a freezing cold river!
Weaving through the themes of friendship, change, women empowerment, self-discovery, among others, Michelle Cummings builds her story upon the association of five women from literally different walks of life. Rose is a widow and fly-fishing veteran. Veronica is an executives’ coach and wife to Thatcher, a chef and restaurant-owner. Amanda is an elementary school teacher, mother of two and is married to Mike, a soldier. Sophie on the other hand is single, recovering from a colossal heartbreak and finally learning to love again. She runs a greenhouse and nursery. Melody is a young independent photographer, swept into the group during an outdoor photography session.
In The Reel Sisters, Michelle Cummings successfully creates a rich friendship among these five women based on their discovery of and love for fly-fishing, a sport not particularly considered popular with women. Cummings’ novel breathes women empowerment in so many ways. With the subtle gender role reversals in the book –which I especially like – I felt like she took female gender stereotypes and flipped them beautifully.
What I liked most about the book, perhaps is its ending. It wasn't exactly what I expected, but I have always liked fiction ending with a ‘happy-sad mix’. I believe they help people understand that stories don't always end perfectly happy and that dealing with the negatives is just a part of life. That being said, what I disliked most about the book is a few chapters with so much background story about the characters. I feel it could have been spread within the book to make the information less boring and easier to assimilate.
I'll give this book a 3 out of 4 stars rating because, apart from the few chapters I was tempted to skip, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and even found it hard to put down near the end.
I'll recommend this book to anyone, especially women of all ages. Michelle Cummings' book provide a refreshing insight into the multifaceted nature of women and their relationships. Her female characters are models for strong women everywhere. The book also provides some valuable information about the sport of fly-fishing. If you are interested in the sport, I think reading this book will be very good for you and it could form an important link for your attachment to the sport.
******
The Reel Sisters
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon