Official Review: The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings

[Glitxh]

[Following is an official review of "The Reel Sisters" by Michelle Cummings.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Most people don't think of fly fishing as a women's sport, but Michelle Cummings' novel opens a window to the dynamic world of the outdoors and the opportunities and challenges it presents. The Reel Sisters tells the story of five very different women who bond over the sport of fly fishing. These ladies range in age from early twenties to post-retirement and come from very diverse backgrounds.

As the story opens, we are introduced to the original four women, Rose, Sophia, Veronica, and Amanda. These four set off to the mountains to Rose's cabin by the river for a fly fishing weekend. As they are enjoying themselves on the river, their fishing is interrupted when a young woman is swept downstream right toward them. Melody is rescued from the water and brought back to the cabin to warm up. By the end of the weekend, she has bonded with the others and become the fifth member of their group.

The Reel Sisters appears to be a fly fishing book at first. The process and experience of fishing are described in vivid detail, giving the reader a beautiful picture of what is happening and how the fisherwoman is feeling. The story is written in first person present tense with each section moving from character to character. As each woman tells her story as she is experiencing it, the reader feels like he or she is on the journey with them. It quickly becomes apparent that this story is about so much more than the sport of fly fishing. Each woman faces her own set of life's challenges, from Sophie's struggle to find love, to Amanda's difficulties in coping with her husband's deployment while raising two small children. I loved seeing how these women developed strong, supportive friendships. They truly became a group of sisters, always ready to lend a hand, a listening ear, or a shoulder to cry on.

One of the only things I didn't care for so much was the practice of catch and release. I have always struggled with this aspect of fly fishing because it seems cruel to me and no one in my family has ever fished purely for sport. Although I had a hard time with that, by the end of the book the practice of catch and release becomes a beautiful metaphor.

I cannot find a proper category for this book. On the surface, it seems like a sports and outdoors book, but after diving in, it is so much more about the beauty of relationships and the incredible gift of deep bonds of friendship. The story encouraged me to invest more deeply in the friendships I already have and to always be prepared to open my heart to a new potential friend. This book is wonderfully written and the editing is nearly flawless. It unquestionably deserves the rating of 4 out of 4 stars. I highly recommend it to women of all ages who love a good story with many nuggets of wisdom and encouragement along the way.

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The Reel Sisters
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Like DancingLady's review? Post a comment saying so!

When books are made with women as the main characters I always long to see what the story is about and this is as good as other stories I've read...I like that we get to experience each character of the book..it really carries a reader along
I for one would happily read the book.
Lovely review.

[DorcasToo]

First, I must say I really enjoyed reading your review its great and self explanatory. I know nothing about fishing as it's one thing I don't like. However, I get to read this book because of the strong support system these women have.

[kemp1kor]

A story that focuses on the beauty of friendship while also detailing the characters’ common interest in fly fishing—unique, but probably not for me. I’m always glad to hear about a book that is well-edited and wonderfully written.

[Vickie Noel]

I'm not into fly-fishing as a sport and know so little about it. I'm, however, more interested in the other aspect of this book, that of friendship. I'm glad the four women stuck together through their trials and could make some room to accommodate another. More often than not, we tend to take such friendships for granted, focusing on only that of the opposite sex. Every girl needs her band of ladies. Thanks for the review.

[cecil2010]

It's a great book, I enjoyed your review!

[Samanthajayne12]

Judging the cover, I wasn’t quite expecting the book to be the way it was. At first look, I don’t think it looks very appealing but it is actually very different. The story of fishing doesn’t really appeal to me but it’s a great story of friendships!

[Quinto]

I like how this book about fly fishing develops to become more about friendships and coping with life's challenges. It is also noting that it makes the reader want to review their own existing relationships with an aim of wanting to strengthen them. Thanks for an interesting review.

[ObsessedBookNerd]

Based on the review I am on the fence about reading this book. I like how the story is about friendships between women and that they have a strong bond to get through the good/bad times. I’m not enthusiastic about it being centered around fishing and I think it would bore me while reading.

[Miercoles]

I love the beginning of the novel - a little advice about when to pee when going fishing, a concern that women can relate to, told in a most hilarious way. It's great seeing women bond over a sport which most people do not immediately consider to be a woman's sport. I shall add this one to my list to read.

[bellaterrabooks]

In a male-dominated sport, a group of women comes together collectively to support each other, creating strong feminine bonds. The bonds of women are a precious symbolic dance that can be challenging to describe in print. The art of catch and release mirrors the ebb and flow of the give and take that takes place in these delicate interactions. This book appears profound in its style and substance, creating narratives that weave between the characters in a tapestry that ultimately strengthens all of them. I welcome the opportunity to read the book in full. Thank you for your kind observations.

[JasmineHall1207]

What’s an amazing book. The friendship bond is impeccable. I loved it. I’m also thinking about going fishing myself, as a woman I’ve always thought it was a mans thing but now I know women can do it and had done it!! Awesome read. Great review

[Dori Lee]

Good review. Sounds like a great book about women bonding as well as fishing. Thank you.

[choong+eunha]

The content of this book is very good. I like the ways they express and the grammar is good. Very like it.

[joycechitwa]

This is a lovely book on friendship and the sport of fly fishing. What I loved about it is that it also brought out the aspect of girl power. The women were able to learn and master a sport generally considered in the male domain. Besides that, they are each able to excel in their individual life journeys with or without men around. Great job on this book!

[Sumbule1]

The novel is full of explanation of new ideas and making new friends. It also involves the hobbies such as sports.