The Buzzard Tree: Stories of Life

by Gail McDonald

The Buzzard Stories of Life is a touching, multi-character tapestry of short stories centered around residents and staff at Magnolia Manor, a senior living community nestled in the Virginia countryside. From the melancholic grace of aging to the resilience of the working class, each chapter offers a poignant, sometimes humorous, always deeply human look into personal histories, emotional reckonings, and unexpected redemptions. The narrative begins with a hauntingly lyrical prologue about buzzards roosting in a towering oak—an allegory for waiting, aging, and survival—and unfolds through interconnected stories that explore memory loss, unfulfilled dreams, dignity in labor, fractured families, spiritual awakenings, and the redemptive power of small joys. With richly drawn characters and atmospheric prose, this collection becomes both a celebration of ordinary lives and a meditation on mortality, love, and perseverance.

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 19, 2025