Trevor Noah

Stories from a South African Childhood

Born a Crime

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.

Iris

Abel wanted a traditional marriage with a traditional wife. For a long time I wondered why he ever married a woman like my mom in the first place, as she was the opposite of that in every way. If he wanted a woman to bow to him, there were plenty of girls back in Tzaneen being raised solely for that purpose. The way my mother always explained it, the traditional man wants a woman to be subservient, but he never falls in love with subservient women. He's attracted to independent women. "He's like an exotic bird collector," she said. "He only wants a woman who is free because his dream is to put her in a cage.”

My grand- mother always told me that she loved my prayers. She believed my prayers were more powerful, because I prayed in English. Everyone knows that Jesus, who's white, speaks English. The Bible is in English. Yes, the Bible was not written in English, but the Bible came to South Africa in English so to us it’s in English. Which made my prayers the best prayers because English prayers get answered first. How do we know this? Look at white people. Clearly they’re getting through to the right person. 

Mariam Raji

We tell people to follow their dreams, but you can only dream of what you can imagine, and, depending on where you come from, your imagination can be quite limited. 

Growing up in Soweto, our dream was to put another room on our house. Maybe have a driveway. Maybe, someday, a cast-iron gate at the end of the driveway. Because that is all we knew. But the highest rung of what's possible is far beyond the world you can see. My mother showed me what was possible. 

The world saw me as colored, but I didn't spend my life looking at myself. I spent my life looking at other people. I saw myself as the people around me, and the people around me were black.

Why teach a black child white things? Why do all this? Why show him the world when he's never going to leave the ghetto? 

'Because she would say, even if he never leaves the ghetto, he will know that the ghetto is not the world. If that is all I accomplish, I've done enough.

Samantha Mochrie 

I shouldn’t have read that last chapter in a café, because now I’m crying.

One of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. It’s interesting, informative, very funny and very touching and the same time. 

Robi

I shouldn’t have read that last chapter in a café, because now I’m crying.

One of the best memoirs I’ve ever read. It’s interesting, informative, very funny and very touching and the same time. 

Finia

Beim Lesen hatte ich das Gefühl, ich sitze mit Trevor Noah zusammen und wir quatschten einfach so über sein Leben. So humorvoll, inspirierend und intelligent wurde diese Autobiografie geschrieben. 

Trevor Noah erzählt über sein Aufwachsen während der Apartheid in Südafrika. Man lernt sehr viel über die Zeit während der Apartheid und über Rassismus, aus einer sehr emotional intelligenten Sicht, wow. 

Muss man gelesen haben. 

Beim Lesen hatte ich das Gefühl, ich sitze mit Trevor Noah zusammen und wir quatschten einfach so über sein Leben. So humorvoll, inspirierend und intelligent wurde diese Autobiografie geschrieben. 

Trevor Noah erzählt über sein Aufwachsen während der Apartheid in Südafrika. Man lernt sehr viel über die Zeit während der Apartheid und über Rassismus, aus einer sehr emotional intelligenten Sicht, wow. 

Absolutely amazing, would recommend to everyone 

Sophia Arlt

Mathieu Schwab

Truly one of the best autobiographies I've ever had the pleasure of reading. Noah is able to take some of the true horrors in his past and imbue them with humour and love in a way that will make you cry with compassion at the same time that you cry from laughter. Long live Fufi.

Caroline Williams

Definitely recommend the audiobook for this one! Hearing Trevor Noah recount these incredible stories from his youth felt like him and I were sipping a beer by the bonfire late at night. Love how he incorporated and twisted South African history and culture to enhance the meaning of the stories he told. As someone who really didn’t know much about apartheid before reading this, I felt this educated me on so many aspects of race and class I wouldn’t have known in such a gripping way. My first memoir book I’ve read and I hope the rest are as good as this one.

WINNER OF THE THURBER PRIZE The compelling, inspiring, (often comic) coming-of-age story of Trevor Noah, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed. One of the comedy world's brightest new voices, Trevor Noah is a light-footed but sharp-minded observer of the absurdities of politics, race and identity, sharing jokes and insights drawn from the wealth of experience acquired in his relatively young life. As host of the US hit show The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, he provides viewers around the globe with their nightly dose of biting satire, but here Noah turns his focus inward, giving readers a deeply personal, heartfelt and humorous look at the world that shaped him. Noah was born a crime, son of 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 first 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, take him away. A collection of eighteen personal stories, Born a Crime tells the story of a mischievous young boy growing into a restless young man as he struggles to find his place in a world where he was never supposed to exist. Born a Crime is equally the story of that young man's fearless, rebellious and fervently religious mother - a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence and abuse that ultimately threatens her own life. 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, Noah illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and an unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a personal portrait of an unlikely childhood in a dangerous time, as moving and unforgettable as the very best memoirs and as funny as Noah's own hilarious stand-up. Born a Crime is a must read.

Born A Crime

Bella Baxter

I’d love Trevor Noah to write a fiction book someday.

Stefan R. Schmid

Trevor Noah erlebt eindrucksvolle Dinge und gibt diese intelligent, reflektiert und noch dazu unheimlich witzig wieder. So etwas liest man selten.

★★★★★ // Where do I even begin talking about this book? I love it in the way that it is a memoir, that is also an historical account of life during the height of apertheid in Africa, as well as a love letter to his mom.

I honestly did not really know Trevor Noah before this but I’ve heard his name a few times. My best friend just recommended this to me one time because she said it’s very well-written (and it is). I started watching Trevor’s standup special on Netflix and got even more curious, so I finally bought the book.

It’s such a fascinating read in that it feels so mundane. I oftentimes struggle to read memoirs because some stories tend to come across as theatrical or (un)intentionally dramatic for the sake of getting a reaction or earning sympathy. This one was just one’s life, quite matter-of-fact, but stories so rich that seems larger than life.

It is about Trevor’s life as a kid growing up in South Africa. He is mixed, a product of an affair between his black mom and white dad. Born at a time when sexual relations between the two races are literally a crime, he lived somewhat hidden and his parentage a secret. He grew up not exactly fitting in, couldn’t fully identify as black because of his skin color, but also privileged in the way that sometimes his color causes him to be untouchable even within the household where his grandma is too afraid to beat him up. 

It also contains some accounts through his life where he did “soft” illegal hustles like pirating CDs as a living, some runins with the law. While reading through those, I find myself checking my thoughts and whether I am being too judgemental. As one passage in ‘The Cheese Boys’ said, “In society, we do horrible things to one another because we don’t see the person it affects. We don’t see their faces. We don’t see them as people. […] We live in a world where we don’t see the ramifications of what we do to others, because we don’t live with them.” This was Trevor’s personal reflection very specific to his experiences, but as a reader, I think it was my reminder to try to understand first the context of what was happening before pulling out my judgement card. Our tendency is to see things through our own lens and decide if it is good or bad based on our own standards. But I was reminded of our differences and the society in which we live and grew up in, so it definitely was a moment of learning for me.

This book was also an historical account of one’s life during the height of apartheid. Of course, I know this from numerous history lessons in school but not much the depth of it. I just know that it was bad, and so many black people had suffered and died because of it. Of course, Trevor’s own experience is just one way to look at it but it was an avenue to understand just how deeply it has affected the lives of so many people. Based on one’s skin color, people are treated less than human, stripped of freedom, and made to believe that they did not deserve to live. How a broken system ultimately turn people against each other, and how this manifests even today — at a lesser degree, but still very much present.

Then it was also Trevor’s letter to his mother who shaped him into the man that he is, who pushed him to reach the world beyond what the broken system dictates. It was him questioning all her decisions but also trying to understand why she had to make those choices. It was a tribute to the woman who raised him all on his own — a mother whose core was unshakeable, from which he also drew his strength. One of my favourite chapters here was ‘The Second Girl’ which was about his mom, and specifically these lines: “My mom raised me as if there were no limitations on where I could do. […] We tell people to follow their dreams, but you can only dream of what you can imagine, and, depending on where you come from, your imagination can be quite limited. […] The thing that always amazed me about her life was that no one showed her. No one chose her. She did it on her own. She found her way through sheer force of will.” Trevor says that his mom had him because he was a product of her search for belonging. Interestingly, one would expect that she will be dictating his life down to a tee — to make sure that he had the ‘perfect’ life — but instead she brought him up free to think and to break barriers and take up spaces, to stumble and figure out a way to go back up on his own. Trevor acknowledges that his mom was not perfect, and that she had questionable choices in certain aspects of her life, but she also made choices that far exceeded what you would expect and she truly is a force that made things happen for her and her kids.

This reading experience was so good, it made me write an essay and it is not even enough to cover everything. I’ll think about this for the rest of my life.

Other favourite chapters:

— Robert: Trevor talks briefly about his relationship with his father. This made me cry honestly. It’s a different kind of love between them because he did not grow up with him, but I think this was a reminder that some people love differently, but it is still love all the same. (“When a parent is absent, you’re left in the lurch of not knowing, and it’s so easy to fill that space with negative thoughts. I never turned to bitterness, because [my mom] made sure I know his absence was because of circumstance and not a lack of love. ‘Don’t ever forget: He chose you.’”)

— Go Hitler!: Honestly this was just really funny. I mean he talked about the different ways some historical facts affect us, but mostly the account of what happened was a mix of morbid and hilarious.

— The Cheese Boys: I love this because it made me think and re-evaluate the way I understand people and their circumstances. It is a chapter filled with so many layers and nuances.

Finally, I just really love the book’s dedication:

“For my mother. My first fan.
Thank you for making me a man.”

mari

Trevor Noah was able to capture my attention throughout the whole book. I believe he perfectly balanced comedy and seriousness while talking about such a depressing thing that is oppression and racism. It was a really light read that got me out of a reading slump and I would blindly recommend it to anyone.

Gwyn Dill

I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Trevor Noah himself. He did an excellent job telling stories of his childhood, growing up in South Africa. His story is unique because of his mixed race (so he never quite fit in) & his loving, crazy mother. Will be recommending this to Trevor Noah fans as well as to those who have never heard of him. Well written & well narrated.

Lakshya Malik

Furculita Alexandru

Heartbreaking and funny, terrifying and inspiring.

Eric Smith

I love this book! One of the best I've read in the past year. Trevor's insight into post-apartheid South Africa and the social mechanisms which created it are beautifully balanced and illustrated by his personal experience and life story. His mom is wonderful!

Abhimat Gautam

I absolutely loved this book, for several reasons. Trevor Noah’s story is touching and deep, but he’s also able to easily draw out the lighter parts of his life as well, buried in what would be otherwise deeply touching or traumatic events. I was pleasantly surprised and delighted by how he was able to balance his humor with the deep, serious events in his life. There were two sides of this book that particularly resonated with me that I wanted to highlight.

One was him writing about growing up as a mixed child, and not fitting in among the black and white communities of his childhood. There’s several parts of his experiences that echoed my own childhood experiences: growing up as a brown kid in the US in largely white neighborhoods. I also appreciated seeing his first-hand insight into apartheid. To be honest after reading this book, I now feel incredibly ignorant only realizing now how absolutely terrible apartheid was, with specific examples. This is a side of history that my history classes only glancingly touched. Triggered by this book, I have since been trying to cover at least a little bit of the gaping holes of my understanding of this part of history.

The second side of this book that I greatly appreciated was his writing about the domestic violence and abuse in his life. In particular, I appreciated him exploring how toxic the environment can be. Grappling with someone you simultaneously love and despise, and trying to reconcile the reality of someone ordinarily charming but incredibly violent and abusive at home. It’s something I’m lucky to not have had much direct experience with, but I hugely appreciated him being able to articulate the complex, often conflicting, feelings that arise from this.

Denaiir

3.5 to the story and 5 to the narration

This book was extremely interesting for me since I don't know much about South Africa, which I've only visited once for a few days. 
The social commentary was amazing and Trevor Noah touched upon quite diverse subjects such as religion, race, domestic violence, school, the justice system, etc. The fact that it is an autobiography gave a very interesting point of view since he experienced all of those aspects first-hand, and being a mixed-race kid made his life quite unique compared to kids who lived in one of the main racial groups. 
The writing is very good and the humor is spot on, as usual with Trevor Noah. 
I lost interest at one point since it is a succession of vignettes, but it came back after a little while so I would still highly recommend it, especially in audio format (the narration was great!)

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.

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

Born a Crime Stories from a South African Childhood

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