Review by Vickie Tash -- The Reel Sisters

[Vickie Tash]

[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 that explores the activity of female fly-fishing and reflects it as a means of refreshment as well as reunion. Fishing had been associated with men for so long, it's because of this reason Michelle Cummings chooses female characters who engage in the fishing, sharing of ideas, and their experiences.

The author has a good sense of setting. Her choice of place and time is overwhelming. This is because the friends meet at different times and in different places across different situations. The novel employs the use of the first-person point of view to tell its story; this is facilitated through a narration of life that occurred in the love and experience of five friends.

The character I liked most was Amanda. I loved her vivid narration and how she related calmly to her friends. Melody is the character I felt least associated with. Her behavior is wanting although it's through her that the story got a good twist and a sense of humor.

Michelle Cummings chooses five characters and it’s through their social interaction, that the plot is developed. These are Sophia, Melody, Rose, Veronica, and Amanda. As the novel unfolds, we are presented with the first two characters, Sophia and Rose. The two characters go fishing in the Arkansas River. These friends enjoy the act and share much about life. As the novel proceeds, the author further illustrates the theme of friendship. The girls help Melody who was swept downstream as she was taking photos. As the novel comes to an end, the mood of the story shifts to grief, from joy and friendship into mourning, pain, and painful memories. Amanda dies in a road accident as she tries to go and purchase some stuff for her loving child on the onset of strong rain and thunderstorms. This strikes all of her friends and brings back memories of the life they had lived together as friends. Also, Veronica escapes a flight crash. She is so lucky to have escaped it without been hurt as many of the friends in the flight are hurt.

The Reel Sisters addresses many themes such as love, friendship, marriage, life and loss, grief, and suffering as well as economic activities such as fishing and trade. Sophia, Rose, Melody, Veronica, and Amanda are friends in which through their interaction and their experiences the author illustrates these themes. Amanda's death and Veronica's escape from the flight crash illustrate the theme of grief, pain, and suffering. Love and life are expressed through the interactions of the characters such as Amanda and her love Mike. The language used is easy and the characters fit well in the book.

I liked this novel; this is because the author employs the use of real-life occurrences in her work. Since all literary genres dwell on reflection of a real-life situation in fiction form, Michelle Cummings makes a good reflection of life in her work, exploring many themes that affect human beings. I would encourage others to read this novel because it’s so interesting, excellent and enjoyable. The Reel Sisters is a novel that can be read by any group of readers, it’s characterized by incidences that affect all groups of individuals, the young, youth, and the aged. I liked the way Michelle Cummings chooses the characters in her novel, this makes the characters memorable. There are no errors in the novel hence it has been professionally edited. All this explains why I give it a rating of 4 out of 4 stars .

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The Reel Sisters
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