Instruct: Classify a review as either positive or negative.
Query: A love story, not a fairy tale

Lynn Darling is a wonderful writer, and in this memoir she tells the story of a true love that transformed her and that remains, years after her husband's death, the wellspring and center of her life. But she also shows the price he and she paid for their love story--a broken first marriage for him, guilt and pain for all involved, and the deep tragedy of the death of a child. A skilled reporter and stylist, Darling can create memorable characters and scenes. But what makes this book so powerful in the end is her refusal to spare herself or be less than candid about her motives and behavior. If you believe in love and in its power to redeem the soul (or even if you think you might), you'll find yourself thinking about NECESSARY SINS long after you have read the last page.