Blood Will Tell: The Strange Story of a Son of Ham

The narrative follows an old mercantile Boston family whose twin heirs confront a crisis when the granddaughter’s romance with a long-trusted young man is unsettled by the discovery of alleged Black ancestry in him. Family debates over honor, lineage, and the granddaughter’s welfare escalate into social and emotional entanglements, with legal and reputational consequences considered alongside personal loyalties. Told through melodramatic episodes and illustrative scenes, the work emphasizes themes of racial prejudice, social reputation, inheritance, and how fixed ideas about blood and purity shape intimate relationships and community responses.