Born A Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood Paperback – International Edition, January 1, 2017

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 remember the first time I saw Trevor Noah sitting behind the desk of the Daily Show. He was replacing Jon Stewart. Where did they get this guy from? I thought. It wasn't long before I became a fan of his wit and humor. The Daily Show was in good hands.As much as I would have liked to have read about his rise through the comedy ranks and onto American television, this memoir covers his growing up in South Africa. We'll have to wait for his second memoir to catch up on his more recent escapades.For most of the book, I listened to the audiobook, which Trevor Noah narrates. The few times I read from the Kindle, I heard Trevor's voice. This is one book where the audiobook is the best way to enjoy this funny and heartfelt memoir. I don't think anyone else could have pulled it off as well as he did. One advantage of having Trevor as the narrator is that you get to hear him imitate the many characters in the book. It's like having Trevor sitting next to you in a bar and listening to him tell you his stories firsthand.I can't remember when I laughed so hard from a book. I know I caused a few stares at the gym as I listened in my earbuds. Because it's a memoir and not a stand-up routine, Trevor has time to set up each story. He carefully creates each character, describing their background and then mimicking their voice. He paints a picture that's easy to see. The story of him taking a crap in the kitchen and his blind grandmother sensing, or smelling that something wasn't right, had me laughing out loud. I can still hear his voice as he was tasked with having to say a prayer to rid the house of whatever demon had left a turd in the trash.Trevor owes a lot to his mom. She was the one constant in his life, a teacher, caregiver, and disciplinarian. Later in the book, Trevor talks about his brother Andrew, who had a different father. He describes how his mom treated Andrew differently and didn't spank him as much as she did him. When Trevor confronts his mom about this disparity in corporal punishment, his mom claims that Andrew is small and thin and Trevor has an ass made for whippings.As funny as the book is, it is also poignant and philosophical. Trevor talks about his short stint in jail after being arrested for car theft. He talks about how some parents, including his mom, would insist that their sons or daughters face the consequences of their misdeeds and not offer to help them in their time of need. While there may be a time for such tough love, Trevor explains that by not helping them, they risk setting their children up for a lifetime of difficulty.The book contains many lessons about racism and culture. Trevor, who grew up in South Africa during Apartheid, has the background to speak authoritatively about these subjects. But he does it through humor.I look forward to hearing more from Trevor Noah. In the meantime, listen to the audiobook.

A book about the difficulties of growing up in post-apartheid South Africa, written by a comedian? Is there a greater oxymoron? And yet, Trevor Noah’s incredibly conversational and relatable prose gives the reader fantastic insight. This isn’t a book about apartheid, or racism, or classism. This is a book about a boy and his childhood, his awkward coming-of-age, his family, and his experience. Do those things include racism, classism, and post-apartheid politics? You bet they do. As the reader, nonetheless, I finished this book feeling inadvertently educated, but more importantly, like I just had an awesome 5 hour, casual dinner and drinks with the author himself. This book brings to mind one of those dinners that “accidentally” turn into a “tell-me-your-life-story-and-I’ll-tell-you-míne” evening with a new friend, and you walk away feeling like you’ve known each other for ages.Despite his status one of the more successful celebrities of the day, there isn’t a hint of condescension in this book, and, having heard quite a bit of his comedy, this book reads like it was truly written in his own words and not by a “ghost writer” helping him form his thoughts. A natural storyteller, Trevor’s experiences make all-to-real the horrors of post-apartheid racism while at the same time retaining the innocence of his childhood and his limited understanding at the time.I was particularly touched by his staunch love for, and loyalty to, his mother. It is a beautiful thing to see an adult’s reflective and retrospective understanding of a mother’s fierce, if flawed, but unconditional love for her son.Already a fan, this book made me feel like Trevor Noah is also now a friend!