Review by ArielJMartin -- The Reel Sisters

[Ariel_Martin]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Reel Sisters" by Michelle Cummings.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings is a novel about a close knit group of women fly fishers and their journey of friendship, heartache, and strength. Although the women could not be any more different, they all find solace and companionship within one another. This leads to a sister-hood that endures even through the most devastating of times.

The Reel Sisters follows five women who formed a strong friendship over the art of fly fishing. Rose is strong and maternal, Sophie is selfless and determined, Veronica is passionate and dedicated, Amanda is artistic and loving, and Melody is independent and fierce. Each of the group are in their own stage of self discovery, and though they are different ages they still find there is a lot they can learn from each other. At times of sorrow and happiness they lean on one another and grow from the moment. Each character uniquely contributes to the story and rounds out the overall emotion of the book.

I genuinely enjoyed every aspect of this book, the characters were compelling and relatable, and the author had a beautiful writing style. It was easy to imagine myself out on the river with the girls. If I had to pick one thing I liked the least it would be that some of the character took a while to fully develop. Though, it could be argued that the author intended for the readers to follow the growth of specific characters a little closer. What I liked most about the book was how the author seamlessly weaves fly fishing terminology into the story, as well as the characters. For example the author attaches the characters to essential parts of the fly fishing set up, Sophie the reel, Rose the rod...(PDF version page 382).

I would recommend The Reel Sisters to all female readers. I do not think a love or even a knowledge of fly fishing is required to enjoy this novel. It is a beautiful and inspiring story that at some point encompasses every emotion and leaves the reader satisfied.

I originally chose to read The Reel Sisters because the description reminded me of a local Montana classic A River Runs Through It, even though this story is set in the rivers of Colorado. Both share the obvious similarity of fly fishing, as well as being a coming of age story. I loved that this book was all that and so much more. I would rate this book a 4 out of 4. It was well edited and a great story to journey through.

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The Reel Sisters
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