Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

Nearly one million people lived in Soweto. Ninety-nine point nine percent of them were black -- and then there was me. I was famous in my neighborhood just because of the color of my skin. I was so unique people would give directions using me as a landmark. “The house on Makhalima Street. At the corner you’ll see a light-skinned boy. Take a right there.”

This is a great memoir -- informative about race in South Africa during and after apartheid; interesting about the mixed-race comedian’s growing up and coming of age there; and inspirational about how his mother stepped ‘way outside societal and legal bounds to have him and raise him. It’s upbeat and often humorous. It’s also reflective, and the passages about domestic show more violence by his stepfather are among the most harrowing I’ve read.

{T}he highest rung of what’s possible is far beyond the world you can see. My mother showed me what was possible. The thing that always amazed me about her life was that no one showed her. … She found her way through sheer force of will. show less

Born a Crime is a brilliant mix of humor and heartbreak. Trevor Noah’s storytelling is sharp, honest, and surprisingly deep. He brings his childhood in apartheid-era South Africa to life with warmth, wit, and a lot of perspective.

Some chapters hit harder than others, and a few felt a bit scattered, but overall, it’s a compelling read that balances serious topics with just the right amount of humor. Definitely worth checking out.

Been following Trevor Noah for several years now, before he came to the US, and thoroughly enjoyed his comedy. After reading this, I really, really respect him as a person. Wow. Such a fantastic mix of personal story with cultural, political and psychological context.
The last chapter on his mother was touching, terrifying and really eye-opening. So often comedians create laughs out of humiliating people but Trevor Noah highlights the absurdities with such empathy. You can laugh and not feel bad.
Highly recommend.

Although Trevor Noah is a world renown comedian, this book is not in the least funny, nor in any manner humorous. It is an unapologetic honest look at life in South Africa towards the end of the apartheid.

After reading this biography, I am totally in awe of this man...

I have delighted in his work as a comedian and in his honest review of the world, but this biography goes far beyond personal history. It is the history of South Africa, apartheid, politics, poverty, and the truth of life in regards of a child caught in-between color, caste, & ethnicity.

How anyone could survive in the explicit determination of the white colonial government to perpetrate genocide upon the native people of South Africa is no small endeavor....

But survive, show more thrive, and overcome Trevor Noah has.

This book is not only a lesson in history, but it hopefully will be a lesson in humanity and acceptance of equality of all human beings.

Kudos to Trevor Noah... May the world that embraces him as a funny-man, also embrace him for the heroic survivor that he is....

".....That and so many other smaller incidents in my life made me realize that language, even more than color, defines who you are to people.

And there on page 56, Trevor Noah gives us the key to Universal Peace & Oneness:

"I became a chameleon . My color didn't change, but I could change your perception of my color. If you spoke to me in Zulu, I replied to you in Zulu. If you spoke to me in Tswana, I replied to you in Tswana. Maybe I didn't look like you, but if I spoke like you, I was you."

A great treatise on humanity & being in balance with our surroundings... Trevor Noah "gets it" show less

This was amazing. I do not understand how there are people who thought this was bad. My first thought is that it's white people who just don't/won't get what growing up black is like, but I don't want to be that person.

As a black woman growing up in racist America, even I cannot imagine what it was like to grow up like Trevor did. Apartheid... I just can't imagine. I've experienced racism, but DAMN! I thought this was a brilliant story about his life and the fact that he was unapologetic made it that much better. Why should he apologize? And no wonder he turned to comedy. Yikes! His life was fully a humor, but sadness and fear were very prevalent. I cried when he spoke about his mother being shot and how he thought he had lost her. I show more was so angry that nothing was ever done about his waste of space step-father. The only parts I skipped were anything with the dogs being abused, or if/when they died. I cannot do animal abuse or death even if the death is just of old age.

Excellent listen. show less

Trevor Noah may be known for his comedy and work on the Daily Show now, but when he was born in South Africa during apartheid, it was literally criminal - his mother is Black, Xhosa, and his father, Swiss German - for someone like him to exist. He details what it was like to grow up in South Africa not exactly fitting in anywhere, the childish trouble he would get into, and the relationship he had with his mother, especially, who was hard on him but loved him fiercely.

I've noticed that comedian memoirs seem to run the gamut from the funny (Bossypants) to the more serious (Born Standing Up). This one definitely leans towards the serious, as Trevor talks about racism (sometimes still making references to how groups of people behave or show more think, which surprised me a little) and the abuses his stepfather visited on him and his mother. But there are also many moments of grace and laughter. The stories aren't entirely in chronological order, but one chapter flows into another in a way that it didn't matter so much, and I could generally figure out where one story fit into the whole. In the end, I felt like I had learned a lot about him and could appreciate where he came from, everything I love in memoirs. show less

Trevor Noah’s memoir about growing up in South Africa during and after apartheid, and how racism shaped his self-concept. As a mixed-race child, he struggled with identity. He was viewed one way legally and another way by others. His ability to speak many languages and adapt to changing circumstances helped him develop a fluid persona, using his skills for relating to others.

Trevor Noah is a natural storyteller. His vignettes from his life are entertaining and at times humorous. But he does not mince words in discussing systemic oppression and its impact. He is also extremely forthcoming about his own foibles, including a stint in jail. Along the way, the reader learns about South Africa’s history, cultures, multiplicity of show more languages, and racial divisions.

I was struck by his close relationship with his mother, a strong woman who rebelled against the status quo. She provided a structured life for him and enabled him to view life in a positive way, despite the many obstacles. She also dealt with domestic abuse, and this is an area where the police and social norms were complicit in what eventually happened to her.

I listened to the audiobook, brilliantly read by Trevor Noah. As a caution, I would not recommend listening to it within earshot of those sensitive to expletives. I am not a follower of his show and I generally steer clear of the celebrity culture, but I was greatly impressed by this memoir. He has something to say, and he says it well. show less