Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?

Use this forum to discuss the February 2018 Book of the Month, "The Reel Sisters" by Michelle Cummings.
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Barbara Larkin
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Re: Would the story have worked as well without fly fishing?

Post by Barbara Larkin »

I think the story would have existed without it. The emphasis was more on how people could come together over a shared passion for something. I do believe that fly-fishing had this serenity that drew all the ladies in, though.
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Post by Doziesixtus »

I don't think the story could do without fly fishing. I learnt a lot from it than from the drama contained in the story, especially knot tieing and angling.
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Post by buttercake20+_Modupe Bello »

Fly fiahing made the story a story. Without it, these women wouldn't have had that much of a connection.
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Post by gelli_baranda »

This is the first book I have read about flyfishing, and in some sense, it's kinda unique. This can be replaced by another one, but you gotta admit it won't be the same I think.
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Yearly Joy Besoy
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Post by Yearly Joy Besoy »

If fly fishing is not in the picture, there would be no meaning in the title as well. With the title of the book, it can be seen that the sport, fly fishing, is the main channel to build the story.
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Post by Ebby Brown »

Fly fishing was the only activity that brought them all together; So the story would not have worked without it.
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Post by Lilyflower-x2 »

I think the story would still have been intriguing without fly fishing. The women could have had other activities to bond over. However, I like that author opted for fly fishing. It encourages more women to take up the sport.
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Post by Avonlea »

I agree with many of the other comments. I do not think this novel would have worked as well without the fly fishing.

It is true, as others have said, that the story about female friendship could have been told in a different context and still have explored the same themes with the same mix of characters. However, the fly fishing made this book stand out from other novels that explore female friendship. It is what gives it a unique touch and makes it a very refreshing read.

I also think the fact that fly fishing is generally considered a slightly unusual hobby for a woman to take up, makes the dimensions of this particular friendship group feel more believable. Only a few women partake in the sport so, as trailblazers, you can believe that this varied group of female characters (all disparate in age, background and personality) would gravitate towards each other, stick together and spend time together as a group. In a different context, this might not have felt quite so believable.
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Post by Echezonachukwu »

Yes, as you rightly said, the book was all about through friendship. I don't think removing the fly fishing would have affected the book in any way
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Post by Magnify3 »

I think that these ladies would have still had something else in common even if it was not fly fishing.
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Gabrielle Sigaki
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Post by Gabrielle Sigaki »

I think fly fishing could still be replaced by another common interest since the main premise is about friendship.
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Post by Suzer6440 xyz »

I thought it was interesting that the author picked fly fishing as the common interest. Personally , I thought it was a creative way to get these woman together. The story could have definitely been close to the same if there was something else they had in common like reading or sewing etc.
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Post by Janet Kimetto »

I think this is a fly fishing book first - everything else comes second. The author divided the book into sections, each one teaching us something new about fly fishing. The author then built the story around that (around whatever aspect of fly fishing the section is about). I do not think the story would have worked well without fly fishing.
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Post by Shridhar Suryawanshi »

The story could have worked without the fish flying, but it just would not be the same. I think the theme about the fish was special and it should stay that way.
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Post by Sandeep Moses »

Well, the main theme of this book is based on fly fishing. I am not sure if it would have worked well without the main element. Maybe it would work if the women had a similar interest in a daring activity like sky diving.
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