BORN A CRIME: STORIES FROM A SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDHOOD

For months, I struggled to finish a single book—everything I picked up felt half-hearted and ended up abandoned. Then, a friend stepped in and urged me to read Born a Crime. Honestly, I wasn’t sure at first, but I finally gave it a shot, and wow—what a game-changer. Sometimes, the right recommendation is all you need, and this was exactly that. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down. This book isn’t just a read—it’s an experience. Born a Crime takes you on an emotional roller coaster, blending sharp sociopolitical insights with heartfelt personal stories about family, friendship, first love, crime, and unexpected chaos. The short, non-linear chapters somehow make it even more addictive, pulling you deeper into each story. It’s raw, hilarious, and deeply moving—a book that sticks with you long after you’ve turned the last page. Huge respect to the mom—she brought back memories of my own past. This book is absolutely fascinating, offering a deep dive into the world of non-white life in South Africa, especially in the years following apartheid. It captures the tribal and urban complexities of South Africa, painting a vivid picture of life in a very third-world setting. What’s incredible is how the book weaves all these elements together, not to brag, but to celebrate resilience and achievement over ego. Every single incident—whether light and humorous or deeply sobering—delivers one unshakable truth: in South Africa, race shapes everything. This is a story that entertains, educates, and leaves a lasting impression.

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.

This book is a memoir of the South African comedian and actor Trevor Noah. He was born to a black Xhosa mother (Petricia Noah) and a white Swiss father (Robert) at the time of apartheid when being in relation with a person of another race was the worst crime one could commit. He wasn’t black nor white but a light skinned child referred to as colored. His parents weren’t married and couldn’t stay together due to the system of racial segregation in South Africa. His mother was a religious, fearless, brave wonder woman who solely raised him. Trevor’s awkwardness to cop up with other races’ kids during school life, his first theft, his ability to speak different languages, his struggle to help and work with his auto mechanic stepfather, his pirated CDs and DVDs trade, his deejaying skill to warm parties up, his small smart trades those he bartered, his experience being in prison; all these and many more events are described so amazingly that it feels like that this fun-filled ride should not be ended. The last chapter ‘My mother’s life’ is indeed an impassioned one. Here it feels like ohh! so much pain, now it should end. Motherhood has no race and all mothers are alike. She (Petricia) is his teammate, her vision to look at the life with a fighter’s spirit touches hearts. Trevor is gifted with all humorous gestures from this amazing woman. Once you start reading this book, within a jiffy you will get connected to it. This flawless content is written so effortlessly and hilariously that even troublesome part becomes a piece of cake and interesting to read. It is important for an author to establish a bond with readers, Trevor Noah has done a splendid job and has given a complete justice to his life story. “Language even more than a color, defines who you are to people.” – Trevor Noah “Being chosen is the greatest gift you can give to another human being.” – Trevor Noah “The first thing I learned about having money was that it gives you choices. People don’t want to be rich. They want to be able to choose. The richer you are the more choices you have. That is the freedom of money.” – Trevor Noah

Book quality and delivery by Amazon 5/5. MUST READ! I read Trevor Noah's autobiography *Born a Crime* and loved it. Funny, deeply insightful, and thought-provoking—it shows how systemic racism transcends every fiber of an individual, community, and country.

Trevor Noah's wit and humour are amazing. Kept me turning the pages. Many anecdotes shared in here are quite heartbreaking though, but ultimately it is a success story. Sheds a light into what the end of apartheid was like.

Trevor Noah narrates emotionally intense stories right from his childhood back in Soweto, South Africa. The stories are dramatic and colourful – the colours generally are White, Black and Colored (a mix of White and Black parent, like he was). Narration is humorous and just when you would have started laughing, in the next sentence it gets serious. Just when you would think, there couldn’t be another tragedy, comes another, harder than all the previous ones! In South Africa, among the Blacks, women held the community together, the males were always away. Trevor’s mother is another central character around whom most of the stories revolved. She is deeply religious, free spirited, loud, wild, obsessed to disciple her son, to whom Trevor meant the world. It took me back to the time when I was studying apartheid and its impact on immigrants while writing my own book. But the way Trevor gets into the details of the Apartheid rules – crushes your heart every now and then. Apartheid was a sorry part of history but unless you read a personal account, as narrated by Trevor Noah, history books doesn’t do any justice. “Pencil Test: If you were applying to be white, the pencil went into the hair. If it fell out, you were white. If it stayed in, you were coloured. You were what the government said you were.” You will love and hate the characters, all at the same time. I have never read ‘shit’ word as many times before, as in this book, except for that the writing style is dramatic and emotional. Trevor is not just telling but showing his life journey, black lives, racial discriminations, domestic violence, friendships, teenage, dysfunctional apartheid society. The stories are authentic. Beautiful. Brutal. Inspiring. You would be compelled to think how did this guy made it to, where he is today! Books like this broadens the perspectives of life around us, what we don’t see, and what the other person could be hiding inside his heart. Recommended.

Very interesting and insightful of what horrific life was inflicted under apartheid in south africa. Humourous but also too much profanity which I find abhorent

A truly wonderful book! I didn’t expect to finish it so soon. Trevor Noah shares his story with great humour and honesty, even in difficult times. The best part is his strong bond with his mother, full of love, courage, and laughter.

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.

Perfect, she will love it for her bday