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Born a Crime
by Trevor Noah · 2016
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Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother—his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life. The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unflinching honesty.…
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"When we listened to this book, we both laughed and cried. It is a very personal memoir of life growing up as a mixed race child in apartheid South Africa. Trevor Noah’s book is a fascinating insight into the history of racism in South Africa, and his experience of growing up as the child of a devout Black Xhosa woman and a White Swiss man. “During apartheid, one of the worst crimes you could commit was having sexual relations with a person of another race,” Noah writes. “Needless to say, my parents committed that crime.” When Noah describes how his ‘rebellious’ mother came to give birth to the son of a White man he does so in a way which plainly exposes the enormous challenges interracial couples faced in South Africa. “The fact that this man was prevented by law from having a family with my mother was part of the attraction. She wanted a child, not a man stepping in to run her life. For my father’s part, I know that for a long time he kept saying no to fathering a child. Eventually he said yes.” When Noah’s mother gave birth by C-section in February 1984, she was estranged from her family and pregnant by a man she could not be seen with in public. When this woman became a mother she was truly and utterly alone. As a couple, we have not been forced to face this level of legally enforced institutional racism and we’re so grateful we don’t have to go through that. We enjoyed listening to this book as a source of inspiration as it showed us how strong previous generations have had to be to make real change. Through this memoir Noah describes how being the offspring of an interracial couple impacted every single aspect of his life, from the way he was treated by teachers, by other children he knew and also by his own family. Trevor Noah is a world famous comedian these days as the host of The Daily Show but it’s really incredibly inspiring to learn about his very humble beginnings growing up in a place where his very existence is considered illegal. It’s also a very enjoyable book to listen to because Trevor does all the accents in such a masterful way. It really brings the story alive."
"I recommend Trevor Noah's "Born a Crime" all the time."
"It was both fascinating and funny."
"It's such a human book, and a great read."