The Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 30s established Black Americans as tastemakers. In the vibrancy of her youth, Eunice moved to Harlem and became a fixture of the literary and social scene.

But Eunice hasn’t been remembered as clearly as the artists, communists, preachers, partiers and fur-coat-wearing socialites she brushed shoulders with.

As the 1920s draws to a close, all around Eunice, there are signs that New York’s underworld is rising closer to the surface.

The Godmother is produced by Novel for iHeartPodcasts.

For more from Novel visit novel.audio