Instruct: Classify Amazon reviews into positive or negative sentiment
Query: Held at arm's length

This is the first book I've read by Joan Didion though her name has been familiar to me for years. I started it because my aunt was reading it and I was intrigued by the story Didion had to tell. My husband and I are both writers, we read and edit each other's work, and spend our days together--caring for our children, writing, and being together. Didion's loss is so devastating but her prose is very controlled. I expected to sob my way through this book. Instead I'm held at arm's length. I don't mean this as a criticism, just an observation. Everyone has her own grieving process. If there is one thing I take away from this book it is to talk NOW with my husband (and my family) about death, which is something my aunt and uncle do frequently. Our children are small and we're young and in good health and it is a hard subject to bring up. Nothing can prepare someone for the death of a spouse but I also don't want to be caught completely off guard.