4 out of 4 stars
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Reel Sisters, by Michelle Cummings, is a well-written and enjoyable book. The book peers into the friendship of 5 women all of whom share a passion for fly fishing. I am not a fly fisher, but somehow this book still managed to effortlessly draw me in. Maybe it was the image the author painted of the cozy Colorado mountain cabin with the big stone fireplace or the rushing mountain stream with its rocks providing hiding spots for trout. There is nothing that I would enjoy more than spending long weekends at a cabin like that. I was also drawn in by the slow, gentle, revelation and development of the primary characters in the novel. By the time I reached the end, the characters had become quite important to me. I love it when a book can do that. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars.
The book begins with four friends, Sophie, Rose, Veronica, and Amanda meeting at the cabin for a much-anticipated fly fishing weekend. The next day they are in the river fishing when they hear a call for help coming from upstream. Shortly after, they spot a young woman caught in the near freezing current of the river. Veronica reaches out her hand and pulls her out. The women are shocked to find that the girl is naked. They rush her to the cabin and warm her up with a hot shower. This is their introduction to Melody, a 23-year-old photographer, and occasional nudist. The matriarch of the group, Rose, has at one time or another provided fly fishing lessons for each of the women. Melody is no exception. Rose introduces Melody to the sport and Melody is hooked. She is welcomed into the group. The rest of the book follows the women over the course of several months. During this time each faces her own challenges and a shared heartbreak. No matter what happens, though, they find peace while fly fishing and through time spent together on and off the river.
The five friends make an unlikely group. They range in age from the early 20s through 60s. They differ in their occupations, race, ethnicity, marital status, child (family) status, money status, tattoos, piercings and more. Despite these difference, they are best friends and truly care about one another. I wonder, is it really their shared interest in fly fishing that has bonded these women together, or is it Rose, the eldest in the group? Rose has almost this magical knack of connecting with each of these women. Either way, clearly cabin time, fly fishing and girl time is therapeutic and bonding. In addition to occasional weekends at the cabin, the women also go camping together for an entire week about midway through the book. This struck me as odd. Don’t these women ever vacation with their loved ones? I guess I find this hard to relate to. My only other criticism is that I would have enjoyed learning more about what Rose’s life is like when she’s not at the cabin. She still feels a bit like a mystery to me.
During the book, the women fished 4 different rivers in Colorado. One of the first things I did after reading the book was google the names of the rivers to see where they are located. I’d like to see them in person sometime. In case there are other map geeks like me or interested fly fishers, it might be kind of fun for the author to include a map of Colorado showing the rivers that were fished and the cities that were mentioned.
Overall I was very satisfied with this book. I highly recommend it to readers who enjoy character-driven novels. There is some fly fishing jargon, but to me, it helped set the scene. I liked learning a little about it. In fact, I just may give fly fishing a try sometime, especially if I find myself in the Rocky Mountains near a good trout stream.
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The Reel Sisters
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