Madewell Brown

As recorded in Rick Collignon’s second novel,Perdido, a tall black man with one arm longer thanthe other walked into Guadalupe, New Mexico onemorning about 50 years ago, stayed pretty muchto himself for seven years, and then walked backout of town. No one knew who he was or whatbecame of him.Now, as his last act, an old man named RuffinoTrujillo tells his grown son Cipriano a story aboutwhat became of the black man. After Ruffino’sdeath, Cipriano discovers an old canvas bagbearing the name of Madewell Brown. Inside area hand-carved doll, an old blanket, an unlabeledphoto of a Negro League baseball team, and asmall, yellowing envelope that was never posted.Thinking it the least he can do, Cipriano mails theletter. When it arrives in Cairo, Illinois, it comesinto the hands of a young woman named Rachael,who believes it is from her lost grandfather. Shebelieves this because of all that she’s...