11 New Books to Read in May

“I still have so much work to do,” says Aurora James. But the Toronto-born, New York–based 38-year-old is already doing a lot. The creative director and founder of the brand Brother Vellies, beloved for its artisanal accessories that maintain African design practices—Zendaya and Beyoncé have both walked red carpets in the brand’s footwear—is the one who came up with the Fifteen Percent Pledge, a nonprofit dedicated in part to encouraging retailers to stock Black-owned brands. She was responsible for Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s “Tax the Rich” dress at the 2021 Met Gala. And this month, with the release of her memoir, she adds author to her list of credentials. Wildflower (Crown) details a tumultuous upbringing—after relocating to Jamaica as a child, she watched her mother, James’s earliest fashion inspiration, suffer domestic abuse—and the eventual solace she found in creativity. James hopes the book illustrates how she’s worked within a constricted system. “This is the country we are in. This is the game that we are playing,” she says. “It does not mean that we can’t rewrite some of those rules. It does not mean that we cannot get across this mountain together.” That togetherness is paramount. “We are not on our own. We’re also on the wings of our ancestors.”