Madewell Brown

It seems like every Unbridled book that I've read, I've enjoyed; and the latest one, MADEWELL BROWN by Rick Collignon, is no exception. This book isn't very long, a little over 200 pages, but it does leave a big impression on the reader. Now here's my issue: I have been putting off writing this review for a week now because I'm having a very hard time articulating my feelings about this novel. I realize that sounds like a negative thing, but it isn't. I really did like this book -- a lot, but I just can't get my hands around why I enjoyed it so much. I'm venturing to say that it was all about the way Mr. Collignon told this story. The basic premise of this story is interesting, but I don't know if I would have picked up this book on that alone. An old man tells his son the story of a black man who showed up in Guadalupe 50 years ago -- Madewell Brown. When the old man dies, his son Cipriano finds a duffel bag with Brown's possessions including an old letter that he decides to mail. Rachel, a young woman who believes she is Brown's granddaughter, receives the letter and sets out for Guadalupe to learn more about her past. There are really two separate stories being told in this novel -- Rachel's search for information about her grandfather and Cipriano's attempt to resolve questions about his father's story about Brown. Both stories are interesting in their own right and contain just enough of a mystery to keep the reader interested; however, I thought the beauty of the novel was how Collignon wove these two stories and the characters together. Both Rachel and Cipriano were each trying to discover the truth, and I loved how the author took turns telling their stories while also showing their individual struggles. I truly believe that Mr. Collignon is a fabulous writer! I thought his descriptions of New Mexico were perfect. You could not only get a sense for what the land looked like, but you could almost feel and even smell the town of Guadalupe. I also really appreciated the honesty in this novel -- both in the story and the characters and their actions. I thought he did a wonderful job of developing the characters, and I have to admit that they have remained in my mind for many days. MADEWELL BROWN is the fourth book in Collignon's Guadalupe series. I haven't read the first three to compare them against this one; however, I am interested to go back and learn more about this town and its inhabitants. I realized that there were references in this book to characters from the prior novels, and I'm curious to learn more about them. But having said that, MADEWELL BROWN definitely stands on its own. In fact, I had no idea that this novel was part of a series until I began looking for more information about Mr. Collignon and his books. I definitely intend to read the entire series, and I am so excited that the first book, THE JOURNAL OF ANTONIO MONTOYA, is being reintroduced by Unbridled in Fall 2009.

Madewell Brown by Rick Collignon is the sequel to Perdido that takes place in the fictional town of Guadalupe, New Mexico. When his father dies, Cipriano finds an old leather satchel with the name Madewell Brown on it. In the bag are some old baseball clothes, a picture of a group of fourteen black baseball players, and a letter addressed to Obie Poole in South Cairo, Illinois that appears to be over fifty years old. Cipriano drops the letter in the mail setting off a chain of events that will expose a town's wounds and bring peace to a woman's soul. With a few deft strokes of his author's brush, Collignon brings to life each and every character. The small town of Guadalupe itself is a character with its dusty mesas and the fierce loyalty shared between its citizens. With just over 200 pages, this novel is a quiet meditation about seeking truth and finding yourself.

This is the story of Madewell Brown, told in flashbacks by his friend and fellow ballplayer Obie Poole. Obie and Madewell grew up in South Cairo, Illinois and together with a band of other boys created the South Cairo Greys - an African-American baseball team. For most of the players, the team was the only family they ever really had. As you can tell from the first sentence, Obie is the only one who ever returned to South Cairo - all the other ones dropped out or died or were killed while they were on the road. Madewell just walked off the pitcher's mound in El Paso, Texas and Obie never did know what happened to him. Many years later, back in South Cairo, a young girl named Rachel wanders by Obie's house - he recognizes her at once as the granddaughter of Madewell Brown. Over the years they form an unlikely friendship, as she provides him company and an outlet for all his stories - and he provides her a link to her past and becomes her surrogate grandfather. When Obie dies, he leaves his few possessions to her - among them a box filled with his memoirs. As she begins to read, she longs to believe that his stories of his baseball days were true. In Guadalupe, New Mexico Ruffino Trujillo tells his son Cipriano a tale about a black man that he encountered out on the Mesa when he was a boy. It is the last and pretty much the only story, that he shared with his son about his childhood. Cipriano is perplexed by the story, but searches and finds a canvas bag in his father's shed with the name Madewell Brown on it. It is old, waterstained, covered with dust. Inside is an old blanket, some clothes, a photo of the South Cairo greys and a letter addressed to Obie Poole. Not knowing what to make of his father's story or what to do with the belongings, he mails the letter. It falls into the hands of Rachel. As the stories converge, Madewell's history is told and what really happened up on the Mesa is divulged. It is told in simple language, but hints at the violence and racism that existed in that time. This is the fourth book in Collignon's Guadalupe series, and I enjoyed it enough that I am going to look for the first three. It was an easy to read book, which would be good for a lazy summer day sitting on the porch with a glass of tea. The first four books are Perdido, The Journal of Antonio Montoya, and A Santo in the Image of Cristobal Garcia.