4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings is a delightful book about five women who share a passion for fly-fishing. The book opens with a quote by Henry David Thoreau which perfectly sums up the theme: “Many people fish all of their lives not knowing it’s not the fish they are after…” The author introduces us to each of the women, how they meet each other, and how they discover fly-fishing. This is actually a very informative book on the art of fly-fishing. Cummings describes the aspects of mending one’s line, casting to a target spot, reading the water, and choosing a fly — I was feeling like a fly-fishing geek by the end of the book.
As Thoreau’s quote implies, this book is about much more than fly-fishing. It is about friendships and self-discovery. The author allows ample time to develop each of the characters. She reveals the essence of each woman by what they share with each other and what they think. The book is divided into chapters called sections. At the beginning of each section, the author cleverly introduces the reader to reference material by providing a quote from various books on fly-fishing. Within each section are stories written in the first-person narrative from the perspective of the character whose name is at the beginning of each vignette. This technique allows the reader to take a peek into the innermost thoughts of each character. It also reveals how each woman is perceived by her friends. I enjoyed this approach, but sometimes I had to go back to the beginning of the vignette to remember which character was narrating. This style made it more challenging to follow the dialogue because the point of reference was always changing. Despite this quirkiness, I did not find that it distracted from the book.
The thing I absolutely liked most about this book was that it forced me to slow down and enjoy each of the women and the friendship that they shared. I truly felt like I got to know Sophie, Rose, Veronica, Amanda, and Melody. There was a nice variety of ethnicities and ages in the group. Those physical attributes were subtly introduced as the relationships among the women unfolded. I enjoyed the unabashed banter that the friends shared. I frequently laughed out loud at some of their antics. They each had distinct personalities and skills that they brought to the bunch. Rose was like the mother hen. She had the most experience fly-fishing and tried to make it fun for the newcomers. I loved the River Rat patches that she made. These coveted patches were reserved for those who fell into the water while fishing but did not lose their fishing hat. I could just imagine the pomp and circumstance around every presentation of one of those patches. They were certainly worn with pride on the recipients’ fishing vests.
One thing I disliked about the book was a lapse in judgment that did not seem to be consistent with one of the characters. To avoid spoilers, I will not name this character. I don’t know if it was an inconsistency in character development by the author, or if I was just disappointed that this character made an ill-advised emotional decision. At any rate, her selfish outburst resulted in an unfortunate turn of events. Another thing I disliked was that I found the communication style of the character Melody to be inconsistent. Sometimes her narrative was choppy with expletive-filled phrases and at other times it was smooth and perhaps a bit too mature for someone her age. These issues were minor, however, and I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
I recommend this book to those who like stories about female friendships and who also appreciate the outdoors. There is a bit of drama involving flying on an airplane during a turbulent storm, so nervous fliers beware. I would not recommend this book to those who are looking for a story with lots of suspense and action. There are a couple of very mild sex scenes that I would rate PG. This is a well-written book with very few grammatical errors. It has an interesting theme, maintains a steady pace, and develops likable characters. I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. Usually I don’t consider this when I’m reading a novel, but The Reel Sisters would make a great movie. I encourage you to read the book first!
******
The Reel Sisters
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
