Two novellas of the holidays on the Gulf Coast of Alabama. In The Holiday Season, a semi-employed actor tries to bridge the gap between his successful brother and their father, who is still grieiving the death of their mother. Love at the End of the Year shows the resilient fragility of love among a group of people on New Years Eve. Michael Knight's writing is clear, biting, and packed with poignancy, without resorting to sentimentality. ( )