ARA Review by maureen sayer of The Reel Sisters

[maureen sayer]

[Following is an OnlineBookClub.org ARA Review of the book, The Reel Sisters.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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"The Reel Sisters" by Michelle Cummings is a story that captures the lives of five women and their love of flyfishing. The novel captures the women as they struggle to deal with life's ups and downs amid adventures on the river as flyfishers. They grow a bond of love for each other that shows strength and commitment, which mirrors their adeptness at flyfishing. The group delivers on friendship, always convening into laughter amid life's distractions when they get together in Rose's cabin.

The novel reads with humorous and adventurous scenes where the women come together and grow as fly fishers and friends. Cummings tells the story through the voices of Veronica, Rose, Melody, Amanda, and Sophie, each writing their backstory and present life struggles. The group is funny, share their strengths and weakness and, treasure their friendships as much as their flyfishing. They support each other as flyfishers amid discovering purpose, love, and actual sorrows.

Rose is the group's rock; her wisdom guides the story to its poignant ending. The story opens with Sophie reeling us into meeting Rose in a fly shop as they chant names of the flies being sold. A humorous scene unfolds with Sophie buying "Bitch creek" and describing Rose's attributes for the reader. Sophie is a veteran angler and introduces the readers to the group of women who share their loneliness, ambitions, and events of their lives as flyfishers. She meets Veronica on a plane and strikes up an acquaintance when she shares an invite to her to fly fishing. Veronica is a company CEO, and Sophie has fun grooming her for the sport. Next is Amanda, married to a military man; she has young children, and her husband serves in Afghanistan. Amanda is always tying flies on her vice to calm her mind from stress.

Then the story takes a turn, and a new member of the group Melody, a young twenty-something, while posing naked on the river, is washed away down the river to where the group is flyfishing. After saving her from hypothermia, the group converts her to stay on at the cabin and take up fishing. As she navigates new relationships, she finds some local ties to the group. Her photography proves a godsend to the group. The narrative evolves into a pivotal moment where all five women experience the storm's effects, and the events that follow unite the group in a soul-binding experience.

The women come from diverse backgrounds, and Cummings tells the story of their meeting and subsequent involvements in a style that is easy to read and hard to put down. You get caught up in the group's situations and how they help out each other. You also get consumed in their reference for nature and the bond they share. The story proves to be well worth the read if you love stories about friendship bonds. The backdrop of flyfishing intensifies the sisterhood experience and highlights the impact of women joining the ranks of a sport that was once dominated only by men. The story deserves a rating of 5 out of 5 for its readability and story.

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