Born a Crime

Learning the origin story of someone I’ve only “known” as a clever comedian and wry social/political commentator was a compelling lesson in overcoming adversity. Told in a series of vignettes, from birth to adulthood, the author brought me to a time in apartheid, South Africa, when it was illegal for a white to have a sexual or marital relationship with someone of color. 

Trevor Noah’s mother, Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah, did just that. Largely responsible for his upbringing, she protected her son in a hostile racial environment, making sure he had a good education and knew the value of hard work.… show more.

I was intrigued by the title, so I had to read it. And because Trevor Noah was reading the audio version, I had to listen. His story was poignant, heartbreaking, and, at times, hilarious. I found myself literally laughing out loud. His life experience couldn’t be farther away from my own.

I learned so much about South Africa, its history, its people, and its culture. I love a good inspirational rags-to-riches story, and this book did not disappoint.  

I read this absolutely glorious coming-of-age memoir while traveling for several weeks around South Africa, a country with a difficult recent past (and present).

Headlines and history books can only tell you so much about a place, so when traveling, I read personal stories from local authors to get a more nuanced understanding. This one is exceptional.

Trevor Noah’s vivid personal vignettes and laugh-out-loud narratives amount to a master class in educating outsiders about a country’s painful realities — in ways they’re unlikely to ever forget. 

I highly recommend this book as it offers a unique and insightful perspective on the complexities of growing up in a world marked by crime and adversity. Noah’s candid storytelling and introspection resonate deeply with themes explored in my book, such as resilience, perseverance, and the capacity humans have for survival.

Through Noah’s journey, readers gain an understanding of the impact of injustices and personal experiences on shaping one's worldview and navigating life's challenges.

Because Trevor Noah is a performer who is facile with voices and storytelling, and because he does his own audio reading, this book is particularly good in the audio version. In addition to being hilarious in parts, it is peppered with pearls of wisdom.

Trevor Noah is the funniest living comedian, and he is brilliant. Who would ever guess that his childhood was filled with so much trauma? Being set in Apartheid South Africa, I was able to keep a personal distance from the story. But it still touched and inspired me, perhaps because my own children are mixed race and had they been born there, I’d not have been allowed to marry or live with their father. Unimaginable. This autobiographical accounting of Trevor’s tormented life is a testimony to his inner strength. An average person from his background might be in prison or… show more.

Trevor is famous for hosting the influential The Daily Show in the USA and has also hosted the Grammies and the White House Correspondents dinner. How could that be possible after being ‘born a crime’? In the eighties, at a PTA dinner, a South African visitor suddenly realised that my husband is not white and she explained that our marriage would be illegal under Apartheid. That is why Trevor was ‘born a crime’ because he is the son of a Black African lady and a white man. I’m biased but I see diverse heritage as a positive despite the prejudice… show more.

I am a sucker for learning about other cultures and Trevor Noah did a brilliant job of infusing stark reality with humor. I believe he and I have that in common. I wish you could have seen my face when I was reading this book: my wide smile would change into echoing laughter, and just when I was on the verge of tears, Noah would make me smile again. When I was a young girl living in an orphanage in Somalia, we used to sing songs to wish for freedom for South Africa. I didn’t know the word apartheid then,… show more.

It was a super informative non-fiction book about his life. He was born to a white father and a Black mother in times when you could go to jail for it.

I recommend this book because it teaches how unreasonable can the human be. And how stupid racism was and still is today. Also, it is incredible how his multiple language skills made him move around all maas of races in South Africa when it was not the norm; pretty remarkable. Language is the key to integration in a different country than yours. I know this myself by experience. Despite… show more.

I meeeeean… my dude was born in South Africa to a Black mom and a white dad under apartheid when interracial relationships were illegal. He was living proof of the “criminal behavior” that could’ve gotten his mother thrown in prison, his father ostracized, and his little self dropped into an orphanage. He describes how he actually had to walk separate from his father when they were out in public so as not to cause suspicion— that’s some dark shit! Yet he grew up to become one of the funniest people on the planet, hosting one of the most popular American… show more.