Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • More than one million copies sold! A “brilliant” (Lupita Nyong’o, Time), “poignant” (Entertainment Weekly), “soul-nourishing” (USA Today) memoir about coming of age during the twilight of apartheid
“Noah’s childhood stories are told with all the hilarity and intellect that characterizes his comedy, while illuminating a dark and brutal period in South Africa’s history that must never be forgotten.”—Esquire
Winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor and an NAACP Image Award • Named one of the best books of the year by The New York Time, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Esquire, Newsday, and Booklist
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.
“Noah’s childhood stories are told with all the hilarity and intellect that characterizes his comedy, while illuminating a dark and brutal period in South Africa’s history that must never be forgotten.”—Esquire
Winner of the Thurber Prize for American Humor and an NAACP Image Award • Named one of the best books of the year by The New York Time, USA Today, San Francisco Chronicle, NPR, Esquire, Newsday, and Booklist
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.
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Community Reviews
Born a Crime was a big hit among both readers and listeners. Trevor Noah achieved an amazing balance with the book that touched on some horrific realities, but also delivered on some delightful humor. When I was recounting, for someone who missed it what we discussed, I was kind of amazed that we had run such broad and intense territory. From the difficult history of apartheid and tribal tensions, to abuse; forgiveness; the power of hope, parenting a “naughty” child; the impact of language on identity and opportunity; what does diversity really mean, and is it natural to humans; and more! It was a book bursting with love and adoration for a mom whose quiet determination to give a child a life beyond the ghetto, or at least let him know that the world was out there, inspired admiration in us all.
WOW! What a story! What Trevor Noah went through and experienced is amazing (and slightly terrifying) but I can see how it made him the person he is today. First off, his mother is one amazing human being for sure. Not just for how she carried herself but also for how she raised her children to believe in themselves, believe in God, and not let anyone tell them they couldn't succeed. She was one not to be messed with for sure! Throughout this book, Noah goes through the history of apartheid and I feel as though he explained it really well. I understand that he wasn't giving all the details but what he did explain really helped me understand much more than before. I would highly recommend this book but specifically reading it with the audiobook. Being able to hear Treavor narrate it and what he emphasizes and hearing how the different languages are pronounced was so fantastic. Even if you aren't a huge fan, you will learn so much from his book about the history of South Africa, the people who lived through apartheid and the effect it had generations after. I would have loved to see more about how all of this led to his comedy career and coming to America but overall, really loved it!
Quotes I love:
"In America you had the forced removal of the native onto reservations coupled with slavery followed by segregation. Imagine all three of those things happening to the same group of people at the same time. That was apartheid." pg. 20
"Language brings with it an identity and a culture, or at least the perception of it. A shared language says says 'We're the same.' A language barrier says 'We're different.' The great thing about language is that you can just as easily use it to do the opposite: convince people that you are the same. Racism teaches us that we are different because of the color of our skin. If you're racist and you meet someone who doesn't look like you, the fact that he can't speak like you reinforces your racist preconceptions. However, if the person who doesn't look like you speaks like you, your brain short-circuits because your racism program has none of those instruction codes" pg. 50
"My mom raised me as if there were no limitations on where I could go or what I could do. When I look back I realize she raised me like a white kid - not white culturally but in the sense of believing that the world was my oyster, that I should speak up for myself, that my ideas and thoughts and decisions mattered" pg. 73
"People are willing to accept you if they see you as an outsider trying to assimilate into their world. But when they see you as a fellow tribe member attempting to disavow the tribe, that is something they will never forgive" pg. 118
"People don't want to be rich. They want to be able to choose. The richer you are, the most choices you have. That is the freedom of money" Pg. 188
"But where was your Jesus to pay your hospital bill, hmm? I know for a fact that He didn't pay that.' She smiled and said, 'You're right. He didn't. But He blessed me with the son who did" Pg. 185
Quotes I love:
"In America you had the forced removal of the native onto reservations coupled with slavery followed by segregation. Imagine all three of those things happening to the same group of people at the same time. That was apartheid." pg. 20
"Language brings with it an identity and a culture, or at least the perception of it. A shared language says says 'We're the same.' A language barrier says 'We're different.' The great thing about language is that you can just as easily use it to do the opposite: convince people that you are the same. Racism teaches us that we are different because of the color of our skin. If you're racist and you meet someone who doesn't look like you, the fact that he can't speak like you reinforces your racist preconceptions. However, if the person who doesn't look like you speaks like you, your brain short-circuits because your racism program has none of those instruction codes" pg. 50
"My mom raised me as if there were no limitations on where I could go or what I could do. When I look back I realize she raised me like a white kid - not white culturally but in the sense of believing that the world was my oyster, that I should speak up for myself, that my ideas and thoughts and decisions mattered" pg. 73
"People are willing to accept you if they see you as an outsider trying to assimilate into their world. But when they see you as a fellow tribe member attempting to disavow the tribe, that is something they will never forgive" pg. 118
"People don't want to be rich. They want to be able to choose. The richer you are, the most choices you have. That is the freedom of money" Pg. 188
"But where was your Jesus to pay your hospital bill, hmm? I know for a fact that He didn't pay that.' She smiled and said, 'You're right. He didn't. But He blessed me with the son who did" Pg. 185
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