Review by Manali_DC -- The Reel Sisters

[Manali_DC]

[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 fiction novel about five women of different age groups and different walks of life, who are bound in friendship by their shared love for the sport of fly fishing.

Rose, the oldest member, is the figurative leader of the group. With years of experience and wisdom about fly fishing, Rose acts as teacher and guide to the other women.
Sophie is single, owns a greenhouse and nursery business and suffers from major commitment issues.
Veronica, a successful professional, believes her life changed the day she sat next to Sophie on a flight and heard about fly fishing. Broken nails and bugs notwithstanding, she falls in love with the sport and meets the people who are going to be her best friends for the rest of her life.
Amanda is a mother of two, and her husband is in the army, posted in Afghanistan. She finds escape from the demands and stress of her daily life in the tranquil outdoors, doing what she loves best--fly fishing.
Melody, a talented and quirky young photographer and musician, is the fifth member, who literally "falls" into their camp.

These women are there for each other in happiness, tragedy, hope, loss and new beginnings- helping each other deal with the trials and tribulations of everyday life.

As the title suggests, the central theme of the book is fly fishing and all the other stories are woven around it. The sport is described in great detail with the author often writing at length about the technical aspects. The concentration, patience, calm and skill required for the sport and the power of the great outdoors in shaping a person is highlighted beautifully in the book. Sophie, one of the characters in the book, apparently gets hooked to fly fishing after watching the movie 'A River Runs Through It'. For me, it would be this book, and the fascinating glimpse it provides into the world of fly fishing, which would make me want to go out there and find a rod, reel and some flies. I also love how this book makes the outdoors a setting for some strong female bonding instead of the archetypal stories of male bonding.

All the characters in the book are beautiful and strong and the author pays equal attention to developing each character and her story.

The only issue I had with the book was in the parts where the characters have conversations with each other. Some of the conversations and teasing made the characters sound like teenagers instead of adult women.

I really enjoyed reading the book and would recommend it to anyone looking for a good, warm story to read. Women and young girls who like the outdoors, might find it especially interesting to read about the adventures of the five friends who love fishing. I give The Reel Sisters 4 out of 4 stars and would definitely be interested in reading a sequel if the author writes one.

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

[HouseOfAtticus]

Beautiful review. I found it really extensive. It gave me a good idea of what to expect from the book.

[Manali_DC]

Beautiful review. I found it really extensive. It gave me a good idea of what to expect from the book.

I found it fascinating to read about women bonding over fishing and flies and waders and other awkward fishing gear! Thank you!!

[bookowlie]

Nice review. I found it particularly interesting since I also read and reviewed this book recently. I agree with you that the conversations were a little high-schoolish. Still, I think women can act like that in real life when they are hanging out together.

[Manali_DC]

Nice review. I found it particularly interesting since I also read and reviewed this book recently. I agree with you that the conversations were a little high-schoolish. Still, I think women can act like that in real life when they are hanging out together.

Thank you!
It's true that in real life, teasing and banter, particularly among old friends can often be like that!
I am interested in your impression of the book- will read your review.

[Rosemary Wright]

I guess, full of interesting, adventurous, female characters, this story will be worth my time. Nice review.

[Manali_DC]

I guess, full of interesting, adventurous, female characters, this story will be worth my time. Nice review.

Thank you! That is my kind of book too and I did enjoy reading it!

[Katiemhardy813]

I agree that the interactions between the women weren't as true-to-life as they maybe could have been. For me, the highlight of the book was the way the author was able to flesh out so many different characters and make each seem genuine and like someone I might actually know. I loved that these women were given the great outdoors as their backdrop, each for different reasons, but because everyone loved it, down deep in their souls. Yoga isn't for everyone, and for me, this book was that statement piece: don't follow the masses, or the quick Feel Good Movement Everyone's Doing. Find what YOU love, and you'll find YOUR people, and actual happiness. If that isn't writing that connects with the reader, I don't know what is!

[Manali_DC]

Beautifully explained and absolutely true!! It is so important to find out what works for you instead of just trying what everyone else is doing. This book with its incredible characters and it's unusual backdrop explains just that!

[Mh33001]

Beautiful review.

[Ezekielafog12]

Thank you! That is my kind of book
too and I did enjoy reading it,I am interested in your impression
of the book

[Nelsy Mtsweni]

I did not find the cover for the book to be attractive and inviting, so, I probably would not have chosen to read the book. Having read the review and the sample, I found the book to be nice, but I still will not read it entirely because it focuses on the flying fish sport, and since I am not much of a sporty person, I might not understand some of the things they talk about. But I do think one can learn a lot about these women's personal challenges. Thanks for an interesting review.

[Manali_DC]

I did not find the cover for the book to be attractive and inviting, so, I probably would not have chosen to read the book. Having read the review and the sample, I found the book to be nice, but I still will not read it entirely because it focuses on the flying fish sport, and since I am not much of a sporty person, I might not understand some of the things they talk about. But I do think one can learn a lot about these women's personal challenges. Thanks for an interesting review.

Thank you! I am not much of a sports person and had actually never heard of fly-fishing before. This book worked for me and I enjoyed reading about it. But sometimes you have to go with your gut-feeling about a book- if it does not appeal to you, you might not actually enjoy reading it even if everyone else says it's good!