3 out of 4 stars
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Oh, My Goodness! I'm so surprised! I had no idea that it's a real Thing! Those women Fly Fishers are an absolute real thing! And it seems that there are multiple life lessons that can be learned from this fishing sport. Well indeed…I've certainly read it and have discovered that The Reel Sisters By Michelle Cummings are totally the real deal as this fantastic fictional story is about five incredible women assembled from five cultural backgrounds, five diverse ages, along with five distinct relatable journeys, which entail a common interest amid them that bonds them closely together year round, 'a step in the river' and what a blessing they are to each other. It surely proves we just never know when God will cast someone into our lives for good and not evil.
Adding, there are definitely no questions, right off the back, in spite of not being quite interested in Fly Fishing, I was undeniably drawn into the story followed by familiar experiences pertaining to 'matters of the heart'. Moreover, in case you're not aware, as it is pointed out throughout the story line, allow me to briefly define Fly Fishing via Wikipedia as it is "an angling method in which an artificial "fly" is used to catch fish. The fly is cast using a fly rod, reel, and specialized weighted line. Casting a nearly weightless fly or "lure" requires casting techniques significantly different from other forms of casting. Fly fishermen use hand tied flies that resemble natural invertebrates, baitfish, other food organisms, or "lures" to provoke the fish to strike (bite at the fly) and can be done in fresh or salt water", whereas, take a look here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSYXZUulwLk. Not to mention, upon that, I finally grasped the book's visual view and the meaning of the titled word, "r e e l".
And, if you can catch the drift of the short description listed above, you'll see and understand by and by the comparison to this Tale as similar to this biblical reference, "then He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men. They immediately left their nets and followed Him", which lead me to what I like about The Reel Sisters…I actually like how the story transcends age, gender, culture, socioeconomic barriers and the power of women friendships, in following behind one woman's lifelong passion and how we can learn a little bit about ourselves each time we might step into the river (of life); while I also like the playful banter, play-on-words (teasing) among the women, as well as the loving attitude and nature of the eldest person of the group. She's my outright favorite of them all.
However, in as much as I am intrigued, enjoy and like that and just how the story reads from the voice of the characters, liken unto being captivated by my most watched and thrilling TV show as it transitions from one scene to the next, I do not like the constant pauses in between each chapter: quotes and passages taken from various resources and sources, as I interpret as annoying commercials, wherefore, I wish I was able to read the story from cover to cover without consistent interruptions. There's nothing like sitting on the edge of your seat and then. . . "we’ll be right back after this commercial break"…U g h!
And although the author declares, "by the end of the book, you'll want to start planning your own Reel Sisters adventures", I must say there were moments when I said, "Y e s, I'm all in!" But then on the other hand, I'm such a 'city girl' and considering that my childhood fishing trip did not go as planned, I'm yet uncertain about venturing out on the water again, too soon (lol).
Nonetheless, even though I found no more than four grammatical errors, adore the characters and encouraged to maybe attempt this adventure in the far future with my real sisters, I still rate The Reel Sisters 3 out of 4 stars. Further, for the most part, if you're into or not into Fly Fishing, this book is for you and will no doubt, inspire you, leave you well informed and take you on an unexpected river trail like you've never imagined. Congrats to the author for taking a venturous risk!
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The Reel Sisters
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