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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