Book Review - The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings

 

 

The sport of fly fishing is not necessarily the first hobby you would think of women doing, but The Reel Sisters, the debut novel by Michelle Cummings, is about five women who become firm friends through their shared love of fly fishing. Sophie has always fished in the pond at her childhood home but became fascinated with fly fishing after watching the film 'A River Runs Through It.' While shopping for fly fishing equipment, Sophie meets Rose, and they become firm friends, often taking breaks at the cabin Rose and her husband built beside the Arkansas river. Sophie meets Veronica on an airplane trip. The two sit together and start a conversation about fly fishing when Veronica sees Sophie put her fly rod in the overhead luggage storage. Sophie has a greenhouse and nursery business and meets Amanda when she takes her children to pick pumpkins and apples. Sophie tells Amanda about the children's gardening club. Amanda is a teacher of fifth-grade children and arranges a trip to Sophie's for the class. Along the way, Sophie mentions fly fishing and invites Amanda to join the friends at the cabin next time she goes.

The group meets at the cabin for a few days one spring. They happily fish and catch up when a naked girl screams for help. She has fallen into the rapids and is being dragged along. At this point, we are introduced to Melody, who becomes the group's final member. Why is she in the freezing water naked? Furthermore, how will this new, much younger member affect the dynamics of the group? The five women's careers, families, and other friendships are interwoven with their fly fishing group. Lots happen along the way, illness, death, and new relationships, but whatever happens, the women still keep in touch and meet up when they can. The Reel Sisters is beautifully written, and I am sure all readers will empathize with the girlfriends!

There is so much to love about this book, I was initially put off reading it as I had no clue about fly fishing and no interest in learning, but I was intrigued by the storyline of women finding long-term friendships through the sport. I loved reading about how the friends met and their blossoming friendships. I also found fly fishing much more interesting than I had thought, and I laughed at flies' ridiculous names. Michelle Cummings is a very talented writer, and I love her descriptions which are almost poetic at times, e.g. page ten, "Each spring, caddis flies by the thousands fill the air, as prevalent as dandelion tufts on a windy day." The last chapter has book club discussion questions which is a welcome addition. I loved that the book's last pages have helpful information for women interested in learning more about fly fishing. Including blogs run specifically for women wanting to learn more about the sport of fly fishing and addresses and websites of outfitters specializing in fly fishing gear for women. The author Michelle Cummings has thought of everything to help readers pursue the sport. Why don't more books have these finishing details?

I am sorry that I did not enjoy reading about all the creatures Sophie and her family hunted, especially as Sophie joined in from the age of nine.

I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars. There are minor grammar errors but not enough to remove a star from this wonderfully uplifting book.

I recommend The Reel Sisters by Michelle Cummings to readers who enjoy friendship, loyalty, and self-discovery stories. The book has lots of humour and banter, so it is enjoyable. I think it would be of particular interest to anyone wanting to learn about a new sport. Although fly fishing is an integral part of the story, it is explained in a fun and user-friendly way. There is some swearing, so I do not think this book is appropriate for younger audiences.

Thank you to Michelle Cummings for a free copy of this book in exchange for an impartial review.