August 13, 2007
In “The Holiday Season,” the stronger of the two novellas with which Knight follows up Goodnight, Nobody
, everyman narrator Frank Posey reminisces about the first winter of the new millennium. His father, Jeff, still struggling to regain a sense of normalcy after the death of his wife, refuses to spend Thanksgiving at the picture-perfect home of Frank’s elder brother, Ted. As the story progresses from Thanksgiving dinner to Christmastime, Frank humorously struggles with his sense of self while attempting to mediate between the two men, both of whom who consider him a disappointment. The collection then segues to the second novella and New Year’s Eve, where a series of interrelated characters ruminate movingly on love and loss.
October 1, 2007
The introduction for these two novellas is a quote from Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale": "A sad tale's best for winter." And true enough, both of these stories by an award-winning author ("Divining Rod") are tinged with small tragedies. In "The Holiday Season," Frank is visiting his father, once a vibrant local politician who has become increasingly distant since Frank's mother died three years ago. A vivacious French neighbor may help change that, if Frank can get his father out of the house. "Love at the End of the Year" follows a motley cast of characters on New Year's Eve, from Internet porn-obsessed teen Evan to unhappy wife Katie to unfulfilled serial dater Esmerelda. Not your typical holiday fare, this well-written volume would do well in larger fiction collections or where literary fiction is popular.
Copyright 2007 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.