Advisor(s)

James Braziel

Committee Member(s)

Kerry Madden-Lunsford
Rebecca Bach

Document Type

Thesis

Date of Award

6-1-2026

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

School

College of Arts and Sciences

Department

Arts & Humanities

Abstract

Heart and Blood is a historical fiction, set in the 1890s colonial era in present-day Ghana, focusing on the royal family and two rival clans of the Dagbon Kingdom. At its center is Chentiwuni, the protagonist who shares a strained relationship with her father and king of Dagbon, Naa Dawuni Zulandi. She navigates life, barely conforming to traditions and rules and associates with people her father disapproves of. The rift between them deepens when Chenti falls in love with Yumzaa, a sub-chief from a rival clan and a prospective heir to the skin of Dagbon after Naa Dawuni. Chenti’s relationship with Yumzaa also threatens her friendship with Kasi, her best friend and causes enmity between them. When a war erupts between the Dagombas and Germans in their bid to resist foreign authority, Chenti fears losing her father and the chance for a possible reconciliation with him. Her turmoil deepens, when another war occurs between the two rival clans and she is torn between supporting Yumzaa or her beloved brother, Tipagiya, in their bid to become the next king of Dagbon.

Keywords

Clan;Dagbon Kingdom;Friendship;Historical Fiction;Royalty;Skin

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