Told in the present tense, each story becomes a glimpse of other, often lonely, lives at holiday time. These protagonists are, for the most part, outsiders looking in at more traditional families and their celebrations. One story, for instance, is of Mae, a homeless woman, who walks with her dogs through the pre-Christmas bustle of shoppers, unseen by most. She is sick and can't remember where the sick place is that they once took her to. She almost...