Sisters on the Fly: Caravans, Campfires, and Tales from the Road by Irene Rawlings

Reviewed by Kristin

BPL Bingo makes strange bedfellows, or at least pushes some of us to read outside of our usual genres.  Try as I might, I couldn’t avoid a Bingo card with “Read a Book about Sports,” so I found a little book from the 796 section—Sisters on the Fly: Caravans, Campfires, and Tales from the Road by Irene Rawlings.

The Sisters are a nationwide group of women who like to travel, often in restored vintage trailers.  Some of the Sisters are into fly fishing, although some much prefer their fish breaded and fried, not slippery and wet.  Strictly speaking, the book includes much more about the socialization the women share, as well as the pride they take in restoring and decorating their trailers.

Sisters mentioned in the book are numbered, as the original group became Sister #1, Sister #2, Sister #3, and so forth, now numbering in the thousands with almost 5000 currently active members.  A variety of gatherings happen in all parts of the United States as the women enjoy camping, cooking, decorating, antiquing, and most of all—laughing—together.

The book even includes a chapter full of recipes, fishy and otherwise, enjoyed by the Sisters while on the road.  Cast iron skillets and Dutch ovens are heartily recommended, and some Sisters note that using cast iron serves a double purpose as a good arm workout.  

Presentation is important to many Sisters as well; beautiful table décor abounds as the women come together for meals.

“Cowgirl crafts” caught my eye with everything from simple applique dishtowels to loving quilts made for a Sister enduring a serious illness.  Scrapbooking keeps the memories alive as stories and songs are shared around campfires.

All in all, I was pleasantly surprised by the creativity and caring shown within the pages of this book.  It’s much more than a fish story—for a great flavor of sisterhood, check out Sisters on the Fly.