Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

Trevor Noah

The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime story of one man's coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa's tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. 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 eighteen personal essays 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. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother's unconventional, unconditional love.

Born a Crime

Samantha Mochrie 

Interessante und für mich überraschende back story zu noah trevor, den ich vorher “nur” als comedian wahrgenommen habe. Sehr gute Möglichkeit Apartheid und die Folgen auf einer persönlichen und nicht wie üblich theoretisch geschichtlichen Ebene aufzuarbeiten. Gut beschriebene und zeitweise humorvoll tragische  Darstellung keiner Gruppe wirklich anzugehören und einen Weg zu finden sich selbst einzuordnen.

Simon Schmerbeck

Lara Engle

This book gives both an enlightening, informative historical and cultural perspective of South Africa and a touching, appreciative look at Trevor Noah's relationship with his mother. While it is funny at times, this book doesn't fall into the same yuk-yuk trap as many memoirs of comedians. It's sweet, interesting, and honest. Written in an episodic style, Born a Crime is easy to pick up and set down, but keeps the pace moving in a way that also lends itself to binge reading. Despite being a regular viewer of The Daily Show, I had no idea Noah's life and personal history was so complex. Give it a read; you'll be glad you did.

Sarah Schumacher

Excellent. Extremely informative about apartheid, begins and ends with his relationship with his unparalleled mother. It wasn’t the point of this book, but I really wish he’d covered his career path and how he ended up at The Daily Show.

My favorite segments on The Daily Show are the behind the scenes clips where he talks about something random. He brings a lot of depth to topics that indicate a more nuanced, insightful way of looking at things, and after learning more about how grew up it makes sense. There was also a section that was very validating as a parent, as I share his mom’s beliefs about access to books and speaking to children like they can handle full sentences. The book is funny as well, but I’m personally less interested in his humor and more in how he sees the world.

This book was a fascinating read. Not everyone is a fan of Trevor Noah, but I enjoy his work. In this book, he talks about his childhood. In no particular order, since now and then, he'll tell a story of when he was older while at the next moment, he's mentioning something that happened years before. That's alright, though, as you can count on each chapter being a different part of his life. He has been through a lot. This also gives you a glimpse into the life of a child, teenager, and young adult in South Africa. An easy and exciting read; I can recommend this.

Frank Enns

Wynter

Born a Crime is a perfect mix of hilarious, heartbreaking, and introspective stories of tough childhood. Trevor's misadventures as a kid are relatable, his insecurities as a teen draw a knowing smile, and yet he shows the reader a world so different to anyone who has not lived through South African apartheid. I am so very moved by Trevor's mother Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, who has so much wisdom, kindness, and faith in goodness of people. Through all the things she went through, she remained strong and selfless; she was driven to succeed despite odds and circumstance, and gave the best life to her family that she could get. That woman is a hero, and she raised a good son.

Cheri Fuller

I enjoy watching Noah on The Daily Show. Had never heard of him before that and knew next to nothing about him. But even if I'd never heard of him before listening to his memoir, I'd have found it very interesting. And having him tell his own story made it even better. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys memoirs.

Emma

An incredibly compelling and illuminating read.

Colleen

5 Stars

*A funny and heart-wrenching memoir*
 

Ok, I’ll admit that when my bookclub picked Born a Crime I was not thrilled. I can’t stand celebrity memoirs. Primarily because I can’t stand celebrities. I was afraid this was going to be yet another narcissistic mess (glares at Yes Please). Even though the subtitle said this was about Noah’s childhood, I expected the usual self-promotion. But happy to be wrong in this case! Born a Crime truly is about Trevor Noah growing up during Apartheid in South Africa. There are a few references to the start of his comedic career, but they are only passing mentions. There was none of that awful self-promotion and name dropping. This isn’t a book about his fame. This is truly a book about his roots.
 
The title of this book is quite literal. Noah was born to a black mother and a white father in a time and place when that was illegal. Between the racism he faced and an abusive home situation, it would have been so easier for him to become just another statistic. His life truly is amazing, and this was a humbling book to read.
 
The stories run the gambit from capricious childhood pranks to life-threatening situations. I laughed out loud at parts and choked up at others. He painted such a vivid picture; it was captivating to read.
 
The book did feel targeted towards Americans, often using relevant analogies to explain things. It never felt condescending or confusing though. Noah did an excellent job of knowing when to dig into broader facts such as the history of South Africa and when to simply tell his personal stories. He displays a love for his homeland while also being honest about problems there. His writing is simultaneously Insightful and irreverent. I couldn’t stop turning the pages.
 
My only possible critique is that the book does jump around a lot. The stores are not in chronological order, and some of them do backtrack over the same events. But this is a minor thing to mention. Born a Crime is a wonderful memoir that I highly recommend!


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 5 Stars
Writing Style: 5 Stars
Level of Captivation: 5 Stars
Attention to Details: 4 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 4 Stars

bree

Róbert Istók

A fascinating book, it was hard to put it down.

Stories from a South African Childhood

Lynn

Fantastic. One of the most interesting and varied life stories told in an incredibly funny and lighthearted way. The topics covered and knowledge gained from this book are of such diverse nature that I believe anyone can learn something from this book. The audible version performed by Trevor Noah himself would be my recommendation as it adds such colour to the narrative.

The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime story of one man's coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa's tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. 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. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother's unconventional, unconditional love. Advance praise for Born a Crime "[A] substantial collection of staggering personal essays . . . Incisive, funny, and vivid, these true tales are anchored to his portrait of his courageous, rebellious, and religious mother who defied racially restrictive laws to secure an education and a career for herself--and to have a child with a white Swiss/German even though sex between whites and blacks was illegal. . . . [Trevor Noah's] electrifying memoir sparkles with funny stories . . . and his candid and compassionate essays deepen our perception of the complexities of race, gender, and class."--Booklist (starred review) "A gritty memoir . . . studded with insight and provocative social criticism . . . with flashes of brilliant storytelling and acute observations."--Kirkus Reviews

Katherine Yang

I read this in a span of a few hours and when I turned the final page of the acknowledgements and the About the Author page told me that "Trevor Noah is a comedian from South Africa" I made a distraught face and told it back "huhh no!!?? he's so much more than that!!!?!"

A mesmerising story about race, class, identity, and above all, a mother's love, related in as much style and humour and critical insight as we have come to expect from Trevor Noah; also possibly the first time a non-fiction book has made me cry. I lamented for a while that it had glossed over the details of his career, but I think now that that book honestly would not have been as gripping or fascinating as this one.

Fatima Kadri 

This was hard for me to read. Not that the writing style was bad, it was actually really great. I was drawn in from page one and there was never a dull moment. But I could never get more than a few chapters in at a time without needing to put the book down to process things— and I mean that in a good way. I wanted to appreciate what I’d read and so I would put it down and really think about the chapters I’d read and what the takeaways were.
It was humorous and sad and inspiring and eye-opening all at once. I’m really happy that this book exists. I feel like I learned a lot from it.

Daniel Toke Hansen

A great book with intriguing, funny and at time nerve wrecking stories of a childhood in South Africa. A book that gave me some insight into a very dark era. I got inspired by the described entrepreneurship and amazed at how perceptions and realities are a product of history and context. 
This must-read i about a boy growing up in apartheid South Africa and making his way through life. This might also be relevant for today's parents who are struggling with parenting. Trevors relationship with his mother is funny and she raises him to think for himself.

Matthew Royal

This has got to be one of the more interesting autobiographical books I've read. Growing up in the apartheid police state, the son of a white father and black mother, sounds like hell. Stories about his childhood status as a "colored" person who floated among the "black," "colored," and "white" apartheid racial castes, and how he learned how to speak many different languages and accents in order to be accepted by everyone, Noah gained a perspective not held by many of the nationals at the time, since they were locked into all those categories. He continually gives credit to his mother for exposing him to the educational and cultural things she never had growing up. 

He ends with the story of his step dad shooting his mother, from his early adulthood. I was hoping he would provide more insights into the US since he lives here now, but I guess I'll have to wait until his next book.

Samantha McNaught

Fantastic book. Best book I’ve read in a long time. Trevor Noah is an amazing storyteller.

Keven Wang

This is the book you need to consume in audiobook format. Trevor’s mom is such a character

really nice, loved that it was about a parent child love than a romantic love

charlotte brand

Nast Marrero

This book is brilliant. First because of Trevor’s unique and witty humor. His voice always brings insight and recontextualizes stories.

And second because his voice always sounds to me as if he was an old friend telling how has it been for him. And with such intimacy, he offers a unique opportunity to learn about: how is it to be poor, how is it to be colored, how is it to grow under Apartheid.

I walk away from this feeling I’ve learned important lessons about how we form in groups and how we use otherness to build our narratives and protect our selves.

Trevor Noah's unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle. 

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 eighteen personal essays 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. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother s unconventional, unconditional love."

Vishwa

Trevor Noahhhhh. My guy is a fantastic storyteller. Even more respect for him after knowing his background. Also learned a bunch about South Africa, apartheid, and general historical context from his perspective. Gripping writing style.

I love story interweaved with sociopolitical context, and this was that and more. Funny, relatable (somehow), and informative. I devoured this one.

Trevor’s storytelling skills are something else – which cannot usually be said about public figures. This one was a pleasant surprise, educational yet entertaining. You’ll learn about the history of South Africa and so much more, while listening to sweet and meaningful stories of Trevor’s childhood. Worth reading whoever you are.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

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