Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Amy   

memoir

Born a Crime is a memoir of Trevor Noah’s childhood in South Africa. His black mother asked his white birth father for a child, and he obliged. They never married but his father stayed in Trevor’s life. Trevor’s earliest years were spent living with his mother and her family in poverty. His later childhood years included an abusive stepfather and young half-brothers. But, despite the limited resources available to his family, Trevor was smart and his mother was resourceful and inspiring. Together, they managed to give Trevor the best opportunities that were available to him. This book is really a compilation of short stories giving the reader a very good idea of Trevor’s childhood.

Not only was Trevor’s story fascinating, but I learned so much about South Africa. Hearing about his childhood experiences in apartheid, and then post-apartheid, as well as learning about culture and systems in his country, was really all new information to me. Realizing what Trevor had to overcome before becoming famous in the United States was astounding! He certainly made the most of his talents and upbringing! I also appreciated that he did not shy away from telling unflattering stories about himself. His stories felt authentic and now, knowing his backstory, I like him even more than I did before. My only complaint about the book is that Trevor’s stories jumped forward and backward in time. While it didn’t cause too much confusion, it did result in some repeated information. I’d have preferred a sequential story but I’m assuming someone told him the book would better hold readers’ attention if it wasn’t sequential. Alas, I disagree. I also wish he included the details about how he got from South Africa to the United States and a career in comedy. But this memoir ends before that point.

Of course, Trevor narrated the audiobook himself and he was fantastic! I loved hearing him share his stories. I also read the Kindle book sometimes in the evenings. But I preferred listening to him tell his tales. He even sang! I give him an A+!