Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (One World Essentials)

This book is absolutely glorious. I’m so in love right now, I can barely function. This memoir is unquestionable one of the most engaging books I’ve ever read, filled with such greatly vivid and riveting anecdotes, made more profound and unforgettable by the fact that they’re true. I don’t watch The Daily Show, other than a few occasional clips on social media, and I never followed this guy before, so I decided to read this book solely because of the title. I love it. Born a Crime—it just feels meaningful. And, it is meaningful. I’m walking away from this experience knowing now that I love Trevor Noah. I love his writing and I love his wit. He is a fantastic storyteller who told of his childhood, one that was layered heavily with sadness, but for the majority of the time while reading his journey, I felt joyous. This memoir is a compilation of notable anecdotes, mixed in with short passages of African history for context against the very special circumstances of Trevor’s birth and childhood. Let me tell you, his childhood is better than any fiction and there are too many humorous and affecting moments to count. Some of my favorites include, the time when a criminal, young Trevor, who was being held prisoner in his Grandmother’s house (for his own good), crawled through a hole under a fence to get to freedom. Then, there’s the time when his first dog, Fufi, taught him his first lesson in love and betrayal. Or, the time when, after growing up on the kind of creative diet that only the very poor are weaned on, Trevor was left completely unimpressed with high cuisine meals such as bone marrow, which are no different or better than the dog bones he ate at home. For more funny and interesting stories, read this book! Born a Crime begins before his birth, when his impetuous and wise mother convinced her kind, white neighbor to give her a baby, during a time when there were strictly enforced laws that prohibited intercourse between Natives and Europeans. The stories he describe span from that time to the end of Apartheid, and further to a time when blacks and coloreds were free to live the life they could wrangle from the system. Trevor’s—I’m calling him Trevor because I feel like I know him now. His thoughts on race and power are spot on and made more impressive because of his ability to use humor to show the illogical and ridiculous nature of the whole enterprise. Trevor is very smart, and a very adept communicator. There isn’t a single part of this memoir that doesn’t pierce you, wound you with truths, yet it soothes you with humor. I laughed because it was impossible not to. I laughed so hard that I cried, and then I cried because I had to cry. Trevor grew up on a divided country, and the numerous poignant moments show clearly a boy caught between the many cultures of South Africa, which he navigated by becoming a chameleon, fitting in everywhere and nowhere at the same time. He adapted to each new situation as many entertainers do, by being whoever the people want them to be. That’s not to say that Trevor is disingenuous in any way; no, he’s observant, and his musings on life and relationships make it apparent that he has a damn good understanding of the human condition. What is most lovely about his coming-of-age story is how Trevor speaks about his mother. His mom features largely in his story, and his love and respect for her is obvious, not only in his words, but in the actions he describes. Their bond is a tangible thing, and the most moving pockets of this book are the ones filled with his mom. Honestly, this memoir is so brilliantly insightful that there are many many pages I marked, so many gems and memories I’ve saved to revisit again and again. I don’t read a lot of biographies, preferring fiction to real life, but I’m insanely delighted that I strayed from my norm and read Born a Crime. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone, sincerely, because it is truly glorious. Audiobook notes: Just perfect. Trevor Noah pulls you in with his animated voice and more than brings this story to life.

Where to begin? This book is a very powerful tribute to Noah’s Mother. As far as how he became a comedian, it is not described in this book. There is one little blurb mentioning he was starting to tour some in England, but not a word about how he got started in comedy, or anything about the process. It’s more about his life and adventures when he was young, and his relationship with his Mother. He draws readers very quickly into the book by talking about his Mother taking him to church, and yes, he does it with delightful humor. He starts with: “My childhood involved church, or some form of church, at least four nights a week.” Later, he says: “Jubilant church was mixed church. Analytical church was white church. And passionate, cathartic church, that was black church. It doesn’t take long to find out his Mother is very devout. She was a very strong lady who had her wild days when she was younger, but later she wanted something deeper and more profound in her life, so she turned to God. There’s a feistiness to her that you can’t help but respect. Noah describes Apartheid as Apart hate, and how different tribes were used to turn against each other. The fact that there are so many backgrounds and languages is very interesting. Tribes such as Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Tswana, Vende, Tsonga, etc. On you-tube, you can watch Noah’s Grandmother saying to Noah, “you was born a crime,” the title of this book. In South Africa, it was against the law for people of different races to have children together. Noah describes all the problems this caused in his life, and the difficulty and awkwardness of being colored. He has some pretty profound and interesting comments in his book, such as: “I soon learned that the quickest way to bridge the race gap was through language.” This comment in “The Cheese Boys” chapter really gave me pause for his insight: “The hood made me realize that crime succeeds because crime does the one thing the government doesn’t do: crime cares. Crime is grassroots. Crime looks for the young kids who need support and a lifting hand. Crime offers internship programs and summer jobs and opportunities for advancement. Crime gets involved in the community. Crime doesn’t discriminate.” Noah’s Mother, and the rest of the family suffered physical abuse from her husband Abel. She said to Noah: “Pray for Abel,” she’d say. “Because he doesn’t hate us. He hates himself.” Noah later mentions “Growing up in a home of abuse, you struggle with the notion that you can love a person you hate, or hate a person you love.” I will not expound on the rest of the story. There is a lot of fun and interesting stories that Trevor talks about growing up, and the outcome for his Mother and Noah, you just need to read. I did find it disturbing that not only does South Africa have a racial problem, but misogyny as well. It seems to go hand in hand. Currently America seems to be having an uptick of racism and misogyny as well. I do not know if South Africa still has as many problems, but I am guessing they still do. It’s a great book to read. Most people will enjoy his book. This book is rated 5 star with over 7,000 reviews. Pretty impressive!

I love the way Trevor Noah writes and for a school reader it was exhalent and educational while being fun and humorous at the same time.

Trevor has provided us with an extremely entertaining, but also informative book on life in South Africa, especially while he was growing up. I highly recommend it.

Trevor knows how to depict sad situations with comedy. Most of the stories told really resonate with the typical African society. Values are instilled in children at an early age. Trevor did you finally meet Zaheera again?

I just devoured this book. Funny, moving, interesting. An amusing biography, beautifully written, with a sense of humour typical of the comedian Trevor is. Also, I didn't know much of the reality before, during and after Apartheid and this book reveals a lot about it from the point of view of the oppressed. But it is also a story about what true education is, about the importance of freedom and Independence. It's a hymn to life and motherhood

Captivating memoir that seamlessly weaves humor and heart, offering a poignant glimpse into the complexities of growing up in post-apartheid South Africa. Noah's storytelling is both witty and insightful, creating a narrative that is not only entertaining but also thought-provoking. His ability to navigate serious subjects with humor makes this book a delightful and enlightening read, leaving readers with a deep appreciation for resilience and the power of laughter in the face of adversity. Noah's unique perspective and storytelling prowess make "Born a Crime" a must-read that resonates long after the last page is turned.

This book engages the reader heads on, just as Trevor Noah does as the host of the popular “The Daily Show” on Comedy Central in the US. Trevor Noah was born in the apartheid regime and grew up during the transition years of South Africa to a rainbow nation as we know it today. The stories in the book are of his childhood and early youth. From the stories one gets an insight into the practical working of the apartheid and how it affected the life of people who did not ‘belong’, like Trevor Noah who was born to a Xhosa mother and a Swiss German Father. Through his stories he brings out how colour and language became tools of separating people during the apartheid. Noah also shows through amusing and enterprising personal anecdotes how these very tools could be used to overcome the very barriers of apartheid set to create. The stories Trevor Noah tells of his life are intense, colourful and humorous. At times he comes out smartly at times he is the silent accomplice who watches his friends get caught. There are many situations he unwittingly gets into and some because he cannot resist the temptation of his mischievous mind. At times he reminds of Tom Sawyer. Even though he had to struggle with poverty and suffer due to his mixed colour he comes across with clarity and humor. His writing is direct and peppered with nuggets of wit and turn of phrase. The bond between feisty Noah and his independent and self made mother is the most forceful aspect in almost all stories. Despite his mother’s discipline and severity; his angst and rebelliousness the two share an enduring and touching relationship. The book is a collection of stories not a chronological biography, at times the switch between childhood and youth can be confusing and also leads to some repetition. However, it gives the author more liberty in bringing out various facets of his life of a mixed child in apartheid ridden South Africa. It would have been fascinating to know how of Trevor Noah's journey to US and the successful position he is in today. Maybe, that is for another book. For now we have this readable, lovely and humorous book.