{PDF} Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

BORN A CRIME: STORIES FROM A SOUTH AFRICAN CHILDHOOD PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Displayed The price is inclusive of GST. International Shipping Find out Availability. We bring the widest range of education products and services Read More Please Register to Create a New Account. Password has been Updated Successfully. New User? Click Here to Register. OTP Not Verified. OTP Resend Successfully. If you not received OTP please. Required fields cannot be empty. Trevor gets a call from his brother Andrew and rushes to the hospital, where Patricia miraculously survives despite having been shot in the head. However, Abel gets off without even serving prison time or losing custody of his children, and he continues to live near Patricia in Johannesburg. This last story attests to the culture of violence, abuse, and impunity in a country whose legal system still functions as during apartheid, protecting white people and their property against even perceived threats from people of other races but never taking black suffering seriously, especially violence against black women. Born a Crime. Plot Summary. All Symbols The Secondhand Volkswagen. LitCharts Teacher Editions. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. The original text plus a side-by-side modern translation of every Shakespeare play. Sign Up. Already have an account? Sign in. From the creators of SparkNotes, something better. Sign In Sign Up. Literature Poetry Lit Terms Shakescleare. Download this LitChart! Teachers and parents! What the reader gleans are the insights that made Noah the thoughtful, observant, empathic man who wrote Born a Crime. Here is a level-headed man, forged by remarkable and shocking life incidents, who is quietly determined and who knows where home and the heart lie. Would this unique story have been published had it been about someone not a celebrity of the planet? Born a Crime offers Americans a second introduction to Trevor Noah, and he makes a real impression. Noah is quick with a disarming joke, and he skillfully integrates the parallel narratives via interstitial asides between chapters. Buy at Local Store Enter your zip code below to purchase from an indie close to you. Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Plot Summary | LitCharts

December Indie Next List. We in the U. It is refreshing and enlightening to learn history from someone directly affected by the heinousness of the apartheid laws. 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. 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. The stories collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. She refuses to go to the dance and Trevor realizes she must be frightened. But she also kisses him goodbye at the end of the night, and he is dumbfounded. It also gets the crew into trouble when they perform at a local Jewish school. In Chapter 16, Noah remembers becoming the most popular middlemen in the dangerous, poor neighborhood of Alexandra , where his friend and business partner Sizwe lives. He has a more severe run-in with the law in Chapter 17, when he gets caught driving one of the cars his stepfather, a mechanic, is fixing in the backyard. The police assume Trevor has stolen the car and throw him in jail, where he is frightened and pretends to be a colored gangster. Unlike many of the poor South Africans in jail, Noah is lucky enough to be able to loan money from a friend—who turns out to have just asked his mother—and get an attorney. Noah realizes how divorced popular images of criminality are from the socioeconomic realities that lead people to crime. Fortunately, he gets off on bail. When he is drunk, his temper is uncontrollable: he beats Trevor so badly that Trevor avoids him for years, and every few years he brutally attacks Patricia. Each time, she calls the police, and each time, they side with Abel and leave. Eventually, Abel buys a gun and Patricia moves into a separate bedroom, then into a shed in the back of the house. Unwilling to watch his family deteriorate, Trevor gradually cuts off contact for some time as his comedy career takes off. Finally and courageously, Patricia meets another man and leaves Abel, who is furious and tries to murder her in front of their kids and her new husband. Trevor gets a call from his brother Andrew and rushes to the hospital, where Patricia miraculously survives despite having been shot in the head. However, Abel gets off without even serving prison time or losing custody of his children, and he continues to live near Patricia in Johannesburg. This last story attests to the culture of violence, abuse, and impunity in a country whose legal system still functions as during apartheid, protecting white people and their property against even perceived threats from people of other races but never taking black suffering seriously, especially violence against black women. Born a Crime. Every single incident no matter how funny, how light, and they aren't all, drives home that race decides everything in South Africa. I listened to it in the car. The audio is brilliant. It's a star biography. View all 43 comments. And yes the audiobook was superb. View all 11 comments. If you're going to read this book, definitely listen to the audio version. Trevor Noah is one of the most effortless narrators I've ever listened to. It genuinely feels like he is sitting down with you and telling you his life story. Not only that, but you get to learn quite a bit about pre- and post- Apartheid South Africa from the perspective of someone who hypothetically shouldn't exist. Noah's mother is black and his father is white, and when he was born any mixed-race relationships were ille If you're going to read this book, definitely listen to the audio version. Noah's mother is black and his father is white, and when he was born any mixed-race relationships were illegal. I was instantly intrigued by his story, not only because of this unique perspective but also because he is such a wonderful storyteller. I do think the chronology of the book was a bit strange at times—one chapter would be from his childhood and then the next would jump to his teen years, and back. And at the end of each chapter there was always a short snippet that completely changed directions and had pretty much nothing to do with the previous chapter maybe in the physical copy of the book that section is identifiably set apart? Nonetheless, this was a great listening experience, one that was enlightening, hilarious, heartbreaking, frustrating and well told. Would highly recommend. View all 26 comments. Nov 18, Nat rated it it was amazing Shelves: memoir , favorites , arc , nonfiction , diverse-reads. Before I start my review, I want to take a minute to praise Trevor Noah's stand up shows because they're one of the few that don't rely on being ignorant. His shows are one of the enlightened ones focusing on race, white-privilege, police brutality, hate speech, prejudice, and so much more. Trevor was born t Before I start my review, I want to take a minute to praise Trevor Noah's stand up shows because they're one of the few that don't rely on being ignorant. This memoir 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. Side note: Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah - his mother - was a powerhouse, a strong woman in every sense. She's a warrior and I only wish I could be a half of the person she is. For a long time I wondered why he ever married a woman like my mom in the first place, as she was the opposite of that in every way. If he wanted a woman to bow to him, there were plenty of girls back in Tzaneen being raised solely for that purpose. The way my mother always explained it, the traditional man wants a woman to be subservient, but he never falls in love with subservient women. Even when she should have been. Truly though, this memoir was enlighten, brimming with emotion, and I love it when children pay tribute to their hard-working mothers. It was me and her, alone. There was this sense of the two of us embarking on a grand adventure. We were a team. And even though some of the stories kind of broke my heart, Trevor Noah always managed to bring in his gold humor to ease the tension. Slowly and surely, I came to admire Trevor Noah's character and honesty even more than I did before. And I'm pretty sure that I'll end up watching and rewatching his stand-up shows so that I can stop tearing up at the mention of his name. ARC kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. If you're interested in buying Born a Crime , just click on the image below to go through my link. I'll make a small commission! View all 4 comments. If this book interests you, I urge you to listen to the audiobook! It was fascinating learning about his life growing up as a mixed race child in pre- and post-Apartheid South Africa. Though I learned vague facts about Apartheid in high school history classes, this was the best lesson I've had on the subject. The book skips around non-chronologically, which confused me at tim 4. The book skips around non-chronologically, which confused me at times as he introduces aspects of his earlier years later on in the story, but I remained captivated. I was so into it that, instead of working on the paper that's due soon or studying for my upcoming exam, I read this book in less than 24 hours. Worth it! I will say that this probably could have been a tad shorter as he has the tendency to repeat and over explain aspects, but I highly enjoyed it nonetheless. View all 3 comments. Trevor Noah brought this story to life, but ultimately, it was his mother that was the main character, the MVP, of this book. Trevor Noah is narrating his account on being raised in Apartheid South Africa. I look at that word and cannot fathom the audacity of it. It existed. The issues growing up as a mixed- race child and a mother who defied all societal standard and called bullshit before anyone even dared do it. Living under a police state. Whilst reading, I was aware these kind of ludicrous laws existed, but it still managed to shock me all over again. Where Trevor could not be seen with either his mother or father. Though his world was completely different from our own, Trevor Noah still managed to make it relatable. His relationship with his mother was a delight to read. His desperation to fit in called to others. His first kiss. Trying to take the most beautiful girl to prom. Everything going disastrously wrong and beautifully twining that with wisdom and lessons that he learned along the way. I just became enamoured with his mother though. The strength she possessed was almost not human. Her faith played a massive part in solidifying her personality and how she viewed the world and it was incredible to see her overcome troubles that would make others crumble with humour, love and Jesus. Trevor Noah is honestly a gem. We have his mother to thank for that. I highly recommend the audiobook for this. It was completely engaging story, intimate, heartbreaking and provided you a front-seat view into Apartheid and what it did to the lives of others. I cannot wait for the movie adaptation! View all 24 comments. Dec 02, Elyse Walters rated it it was amazing. Trevor is a likable! A charming- guy!!! Listening to him speak is almost magnetic. Being thrown out of a car? By his own mother? Trevor had my attention in the palm of his hands. Trevor did the building!! He used every life experience to his advantage-- and that's extraordinary! Poverty, abuse, Religious upbringing, crazy chaotic living conditions, a powerhouse one-of-kind mother Trevor is a thriving survivor!!!! We also get an excellent intimate understanding A child who was often guided to play indoors, hiding , a 'positive' lifetime result 'today' is that Trevor says he can sit and enjoy his own company for days on out. He is never bored! Funny too!!! View all 18 comments. The author is very charismatic and if you're going to read this book, I would recommend the audiobook since he narrates it! Believe the hype! I absolutely loved it. I listened to the audio. Trevor narrates his stories of growing up in South Africa. I highly recommend the audio version. He made this book come to life with his narration. This would actually make a good first listen. I just became a fan recently of his and thought I'd give the book a shot. I'm so happy I did! I learned a lot about apartheid and I learned a lot about South Africa. I also learned some gross facts like the poorest of people eat worms. At one point he and his family were so poor that they were eating them. Trevor had me laughing. Trevor had me crying. Great book! View all 44 comments. When he took over from John Stewart I'll admit I stopped watching TDS ; however, intermittently, I would come across Trevor's comedy shows online which would have me doubling over fighting for air watch the "Australian apple" and "Escalator" skits , and within a short period, I became an even more ardent fan of TDS. In my opinion, Trevor is one of the most intelligent people on TV or elsewhere and this book shows us how he became the astute, authentic, resilient and insightful person that he no When he took over from John Stewart I'll admit I stopped watching TDS ; however, intermittently, I would come across Trevor's comedy shows online which would have me doubling over fighting for air watch the "Australian apple" and "Escalator" skits , and within a short period, I became an even more ardent fan of TDS. In my opinion, Trevor is one of the most intelligent people on TV or elsewhere and this book shows us how he became the astute, authentic, resilient and insightful person that he now is. As an aside, special shout out to his Ma, Patricia, whom I understand will be played by Lupita in the upcoming movie adaptation, and while I like Lupita enough, I believe she is unsuited for this role as she herself must well know. South African women have a certain look which is def not Lupita and it would be a shame for Trevor to cede control of casting simply because she was the first person to contact him about movie options. Just saying. Overall, Born a Crime is an important piece of literature that provides a young man's view of the effects of apartheid , the family dynamic that devolved from being born a crime, and the power of a mother's love. This is great! Not that he minimizes the circumstances, but there more fact than lamentation. His performance adds to fantastic storytelling. The stories from his childhood reminded me of something Art Linkletter said about the c This is great! The teachers would laugh and send me the rascals. He was a bit conflicted when exhorted to pray for God to kill the demon who had done the bad thing. Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah While this is Trevor's story, but it very much a loving tribute to her. View all 28 comments. Noah moves from comedy to tragedy seamlessly. He understands the human condition better than most writers, no, most people. He was born and raised in South Africa. Being born half white and half black, the birth of an "illegal" union, he is "born a crime". Noah's stories sketch his life, with his mother, in South Africa. Noah's style is very matter- of-fact. He never downplays, nor does he embellish the tragedy of what South Africa was. Noah knew no other way of life and sees racism in all its many facets as a routine way of life. However, the book isn't just filled with tales of darkness and suffering. Noah brilliantly balances this tragedy with mayhem, mischief and love throughout his stories. Noah's love and respect for his mother and the way she raised him shines through on nearly every page. She knowingly broke apartheid laws designating it to be a crime for sexual intercourse between people of different races. Yet, she didn't care. With a man she loved, a Swiss man, she persuaded him to be the father to the child she so desperately wanted. Noah credits his mother With shaping him into the man he is today. This is as much her story as it is Noah's. The ways in which Noah learns to navigate the changing world around him is worth the read itself. I definitely hope to read more of his work in the future. I loved seeing this world Trevor Noah's eyes. View all 14 comments. Jul 30, jessica rated it it was amazing. I admit I know virtually nothing about South Africa other than the absolute obvious, like what is reported in the news. So, Trevor gives readers like myself a bit of a history and a maybe a civics lesson too, in how people are divided by class and race and the thought process or mindset of those who live in this country. Noah is of mixed race, born right before the end of apartheid, which made his birth illegal because whites and blacks were not allowed to have intercourse, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. These stories are often hysterically funny, but of course there are few difficult passages, too. But, overall, I enjoyed this book all the way from start to finish. View all 23 comments. Aug 17, NReads marked it as to-read. I want this book right now right here. Overall, Born a Crime is a fascinating story, but the loose editing and too casual a writing style meant it lacked narrative cohesion for me, so it's a solid 3 star review. Trevor Noah's childhood memoir definitely showcases his fresh, witty perspective and provide a lot of history and context of life under apartheid and life just after the end of apartheid, from a macro level of the forces and powers at work and warring against each other, to the micro level of Trevor and his family's experienc Overall, Born a Crime is a fascinating story, but the loose editing and too casual a writing style meant it lacked narrative cohesion for me, so it's a solid 3 star review. Trevor Noah's childhood memoir definitely showcases his fresh, witty perspective and provide a lot of history and context of life under apartheid and life just after the end of apartheid, from a macro level of the forces and powers at work and warring against each other, to the micro level of Trevor and his family's experiences in that time. I've visited South Africa before and felt I knew a decent amount about the country's culture and history, but Noah really brought to light intricacies of daily life and nuances about how different groups interacted and experienced each other under and after apartheid. Noah's family is mostly seen in brief anecdotes and sketches, but his mother is a central figure and the most compelling character we encounter. Her faith, her hustle, her perseverance, and her sense of humor are palpable in Noah's writing, and we are shown the complex but very loving relationship between Trevor and his mother expand and grow over the years. Because the anecdotes and stories are presented in a non linear fashion, it can be difficult to get a fix on sense of time and when things are happening for Trevor and his mother and brothers. As a multiracial American, I could relate to many aspects of Trevor's own shifting identity for himself and his peers, but many other aspects were completely foreign and indeed eye opening for me. The casual way Trevor narrates is both a highlight and a fault: it definitely jumps off the page is being securely in his voice, so it has a true feeling of authenticity. But it also has an effect of little editing and a lack of polish, so where other memoirists link events within a larger narrative framework and immerse you in the story AND the writing, here it's more disjointed, less cohesive, so you appreciate some of the parts more than the sum of their parts. And not all of the individual anecdotes feel fully worthy of inclusion. And the ending feels less like a natural ending and more like Noah ran out of steam though the final story of the attempted murder of his mother is powerful and scary and was probably hard to write. Ultimately if you're a fan of Trevor Noah, or are interested in a unique perspective that unites childhood under and after apartheid with larger historical and social context of South Africa, Born a Crime is a solid choice. It's an easy read, but it took me longer than usual to finish since I was not really engaged with the non linear narrative and the style and format of the writing itself, though the subject matter was interesting. Nov 27, Margitte rated it really liked it Shelves: read , autobiography , reviewed , releases , south-africa , south-african-author. An amazing story of a young man and his mother who went around the block a few times and beat the odds. Despite a few inaccuracies in his tale, it remains a well-told story that kept me reading and reading until the very end. Trevor Noah has that intelligent kindness like an astral light around him. He has that look of wisdom and experience in his eyes which allow people to like and want to listen to him. He is a gentle soul. I guess he can thank his mom for that. She was on his case, saving his An amazing story of a young man and his mother who went around the block a few times and beat the odds. She was on his case, saving his soul since the day he was born. Trevor Noah starts out his book with his usual irony. He establishes a high-speed tone that promises a suspense thriller on the spot. He was thrown out of a car and it was not a Hollywood movie at all! From there he introduces his mother and grandmother which sets the tone of this book. So the Bible was my action movie. Samson was my superhero. He was my He-Man. A guy beating a thousand people to death with the jawbone of a donkey? He shares his personal story with so much wit and candor. Some incidences were so funny I just sat back and laughed and laughed. But then there were the moments of pain and sadness, so intense, that I felt like standing in his aura and hearing his thoughts before he expressed them. Tragic, yet destined to turn out to be miracles in the end. He shares many aspects of South African history and culture as background to his story, which enhances the experience for the reader. His sense of humor is always ready to jump in at the most unexpected moments. It was really a great read! As background to Trevor Noah's story, I want to provide a few tidbits of information. Not many people realize that. When the Americans thought it a good idea to provide reservations for the indigenous people, the South African government thought is was a brilliant idea as well and follow it up with their own interpretation. When Americans thought there should not be social interaction between races in public premises, the South Africans followed suit. Black-only bus stops serviced Black-only buses. Black-only ambulances stopped at Black-only hospitals. Black-only education was provided at Black-only schools and universities. Beaches, bridges, swimming pools, washrooms, cinemas, benches, parks and even burial grounds were all segregated. Interracial marriages were strictly forbidden. Black people had their own magazines, newspapers, authors, journalists, movies, artists, musicians, music concerts, businesses and communities. Black lawyers, doctors, teachers, and religious leaders served their own community. Their training were subsidized by the Apartheid government. They enjoyed free education as a result, while the White community had to pay for everything. Trevor Noah himself could have gone to university on the same principles with even more bursaries available to him than there were for white people. Born A Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood

Trevor and his young adult friends were simply ignorant young men doing their own thing. Of course he did not have to know it, since it was never part of his own life. He described the Afrikaners's "love" for Hitler, but did not know how it worked. The Afrikaners lost their families in the Anglo-Boer war in which Britain followed a scorched-earth policy, leaving the Afrikaner farmers bankrupt and their families destroyed, dead in the concentration camps. The impoverished farmers abandoned their farms, which were immediately grabbed by the British government and handed over to British soldiers as payment for their services against the Afrikaners during the war. When the world declared war against Hitler, a small group of embittered Afrikaners organized themselves into a rebellion to assist Hitler against Britain. They simply hated the English. They would join any country declaring war against England. However, the vast majority of Afrikaners joined Britain in combat against Hitler. My father was one of them. We are from German descend. The South African soldiers, the majority being from the Afrikaner community who joined Great Britain were all descendants of the French, Dutch and German. They were joining the English forces who were shipped from the British colonies at the time. I just wanted to clear that up. Trevor and his mom were not part of the elite. They lived in the moderate, poor areas where workers and entrepreneurs felt at home. I was so happy that he mentioned the cultural cuisine. The 'smileys' he mentioned, sheep's head, are still highly popular. There are even sheep head clubs in the country. His revolt for sheep's eyes, which is also something to fight and die for by the dedicated eaters, had me almost falling off my bed with laughter. I cannot stand it either, although my husband and his farmer friends would make sure they can all enjoy it by buying themselves enough sheep heads for their club meetings and ensure nobody misses out on the eyes! Yes, be strong, dear friends. We could all have been like that, so don't laugh! Trevor Noah's mom, however, knew it was the only dish that would get him to stay home for dinner instead of going out and enjoy his beloved Macdonalds. And then there is the 'Marogo' which he enjoyed, which I grew up with. It is a healthy weed, cooked like green beans with potato and unions, and normally enjoyed as a side dish, heaped onto 'mieliepap' maize porridge. You're simply not South African if you have not eaten Marog and pap! It taste like spinach with a creamy effect. He took me back to my own childhood days, in a different time and place of course, but the nostalgia of that time came rushing over me while reading this book. We had so many happy moments, despite circumstances, and like Trevor, we as children never knew about Apartheid. Adults did not talk about it. It was quite a revelation when we finally grasped the meaning. We were the generation who brought it to en end. His story is so inspirational. A feel-good experience. I can only congratulate him and wish him all the best in the world He deserves it. And, most importantly, he will make it. You gooooo Trevor!!!! Thank you for the wonderful memories you shared. You made this world a much better place to be in, just by being you and sharing your heartfelt, often funny story. View all 51 comments. Jan 11, Book Riot Community added it. Something you should know about me: memoirs are NOT my jam. I had moments where I felt crushed by the realities of Apartheid, wondering how humans can be so cruel, followed by long stretches of laughter where I must have looked batty while driving, such was my delight in a chapter about sneaky pooping and the aftermath. I may be frustrated recently with his call for other people of color to be moderate in their reactions to the incoming administration, but getting a bit of insight into the pain and tragedy he suffered at the hands of similarly-minded people was informative for me and has changed the way I view him. Nov 22, Montzalee Wittmann rated it it was amazing. I am a big fan of Trevor and watched his special on Netflix where he speaks of his life growing up but this goes into so much detail, it is stunning all that this guy goes through and is not a bitter man. He describes the horrible laws and society he is born into and the way he is looked at in his society. How he tries to see himself. His life in poverty, with a v Born a Crime Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah is such an interesting look into the life of a talented young man. His life in poverty, with a very religious mother, an abusive step father, his struggles to find himself and diligent acts, his family, the horrible times in his life and the good times in his life. Through it all, he keeps his humor and love alive and shares it with us in this wonderful book. There is so much in here and he tells it so well. He has a good heart and it comes out in this book. He is not jaded by his past but seems to be inspired to be better because of it. Great job Trevor, we love you! Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to read this wonderful, touching book! But young Trevor still got to experience plenty of the negative effects of that horrific system. The relationship between his black African mother and his white Swiss father, was legally prohibited by the "Immorality Act", a crime that could carry up to 5 years in prison. These laws were not a mere abstraction, they were actively enforced by the authorities. Noah did a good job at giving us a condensed version of the history of Apartheid. He explains how it was used to create fissures among the black population, and give us an insider's perspective of the real life consequences it had in the lives of millions of people. My sense is that this book was written with a Western audience in mind, so he takes the time to compare Apartheid to similar repressive movements in other parts of the world, such as the removal of Native Americans, European Colonialism and Slavery and the Jim Crow era in America. On this topic he remarks: "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. Personally I can relate to this. Colorism was something I encountered in the society where I grew up. Having a lighter skin didn't guarantee success, but it certainly helped remove a potential obstacle and it opened doors that otherwise could have remained closed. And yet, young Trevor frequently felt like an outsider, tolerated but not fully accepted. This started to change once he moved from her family home and started looking for ways to make a living. From his mother, he inherited an entrepreneurial spirit and started making some money by utilizing his many skills; he was multi-lingual, good with technology and had a knack for mixing music that his peers loved. If necessity is the mother of invention, Trevor and his fellow hustlers were the embodiment of that maxim. Eventually things turned bad when he became involved in petty crimes and got in trouble with the law. I think the most important chapter of this book is the one where Noah describes the social dynamics of the "hood" and how difficult it is for a kid without a support system to break the cycle of poverty and violence. By the end of the memoir he realizes that she more than anyone, is the person he can count on. She is his saving grace. There are plenty of funny moments and hilarious anecdotes on Born a Crime , so it would be tempting to categorize this as just a rag-to-riches, pull up by your bootstraps kind of story. In reality though, Noah has written a profound account about his humble beginnings, the pervasive presence of violence in his home and his country at large, and his own racial identity crisis, the result of having been born in a place where the frequent reaction to a person of mixed race was astonishment, contempt or both. The fact that Noah was able to overcome such a difficult upbringing it almost miraculous and reason enough to read his story. But I think his views on poverty, racism, domestic violence are also worth listening to, mainly because he has the emotional scars to prove his credentials as a reliable witness. This is a very moving memoir that will make you laugh and cry, but I trust that it will also leave you with a good dose of optimism. View all 35 comments. Instagram Twitter Facebook Amazon Pinterest I consider myself an unofficial expert on celebrity memoirs. I haven't read all of them although I would like to - even the stupid ones, because I am incredibly nosy and devour celebrity gossip the way other people devour Dorritos or fake news , but I've read a fair amount, and they usually follow a typical narrative arc. I love Trevor Noah. I love what he brings to The Daily Show. I think he's incredibly funny, intellectual, erudite, and charming. I also think he's cute, but that's neither here nor there. I actually first learned about him through his in famous video with "she who shall not be named" no, not Voldemort's sister - but close. I was really impressed by how he went about the interview. That could have been really ugly - but it wasn't; it was a somewhat civil discourse between two opposing views, about why the political beliefs of a certain demographic can be incredibly problematic. When I found out that this Trevor Noah person, this cool political cucumber, had a memoir out, I immediately put myself on hold for it at the library. Unfortunately, so did about a billion other people. Normally, when I wait that long, I start to lose interest and by the time I get the book I sometimes forget why I even bothered to put it on hold in the first place. Not so, here. Trevor Noah's memoir is not like other memoirs because he doesn't talk about his "famous" life at all. He talks about slavery, segregation, racism, poverty, domestic violence and abuse, and all manner of other troubling topics, but he does it in a way that, while not exactly unpleasant, never becomes so graphic or unpleasant that I had to put the book down and take a deep breath. At times, he even manages to make the terrible situation he's describing funny, which is truly a testament to his amazing sense of humor. There's a lot more I can say, but most of it would just be recaps from the memoir and more praise about Trevor himself. I really, really loved this book. Read this book. It was totally worth waiting for two months for. View all 7 comments. Partly because I adore Trevor Noah as a person. In this Trevor tells many stories from his childhood in South Africa. He is funny, well-spoken, and insightful as he discusses how being the product of a white Swiss father and a black South African mother both worked for and against him, depending on the situation. This was an excellent book, though I wish he hadn't jumped around on his timeline as much as he did. It wasn't really a big deal but I sort of had trouble keeping up with the chronological order of the events he was describing. I would very much recommend this for everyone, even if you don't particularly like Trevor Noah! My friend Michael talks about how much he enjoyed the book in his review , despite not being the author's biggest fan. View all 27 comments. The best part about this audiobook is that Trevor Noah narrated it. Also, as heavy as it was at times, his humor really shined through. The narration is spectacular. Nov 16, Barbara rated it really liked it. It's not. The book is about Trevor growing up in South Africa when apartheid was coming to an end. Apartheid and it's aftermath left the impoverished black population of South Africa with hard lives and few opportunities. Nevertheless, Trevor infuses his story with hope and humor. At that time, apartheid was still in effect and mixing of the races was forbidden by law. Thus, light-skinned Trevor was evidence of a crime. The child - who lived with his mother in a black neighborhood - had to stay hidden inside during his early childhood Trevor Noah with his mother Little Trevor Noah Young Trevor rarely went outside because mixed race children could be taken away School age Trevor Noah Nomalizo Frances Noah Trevor's grandmother in front of her house, where Trevor lived as a kid Trevor's grandmother inside her home Trevor's grandmother is proud of her family Trevor's grandmother was reluctant to discipline him because she might damage his light skin The dismantling of apartheid in the early 's eased the situation for blacks and people of mixed race classified as 'colored' , and Trevor and his mother - named Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah - embarked on a rather tumultuous life. Patricia acquired secretarial skills and got an office job, which meant the Noahs were a little bit better off than many black South African families. Patricia even had a junky old car which - being a devout Christian - she used to 'schlep' Trevor to three or four different churches every Sunday. South African church When Patricia wasn't working or at church she loaded Trevor into the car and took him to places that cost no money, like parks, picnics, and sightseeing past white people's mansions. Trevor's mom had the attitude "I'm going to give you everything I never had. Trevor's mom bought him books As Trevor describes it: their car was a tin can on wheels; they lived in the middle of nowhere; they had shabby furniture; they changed the channels on their tiny black and white TV with pliers; and they wore clothes from thrift stores. During good times Trevor's family ate chicken, but when times were tough they ate food meant for dogs like 'sawdust' meat scraps and 'soup bones. Trevor describes this as the worst time of his life. Marogo Mopane worms Trevor was a self-described 'naughty child' whose high energy level and mischievous pranks got him into lots of trouble. Trevor also loved fire and once burned down the house of a white family. To escape spankings from his mother, Trevor would streak out of the house and through the neighborhood - with Patricia close behind. As a result Trevor became a very fast runner, a talent that would be useful later on - when he had to run away from cops and tough guys. Though Patricia didn't spare the spankings, she punished Trevor 'out of love' - and he reciprocated the affection. Trevor was an enterprising youth and found inventive ways to make money. By the time he was in high school Trevor was selling pirated CDs he made at home - an enterprise that led to deejaying parties in black townships. Trevor also partnered up with a couple of friends to run a kind of 'loan and barter' business, which netted plenty of extra cash for McDonald's, beer, and electronic equipment. Trevor Noah looking cool On the downside, Trevor never fit in anywhere. Being a light-skinned black, Trevor wasn't accepted by blacks, whites, Indians, Asians, or colored people most of whom have a complicated ancestry beginning with Dutch settlers and black women. This made Trevor a sort of 'chameleon' who could get by with everyone. Trevor also had bad luck with girls, partly because he had terrible acne. Trevor describes several attempts to get a girlfriend, and these tales are amusing In high school, for example, Trevor's friend set him up with a beautiful girl named Babiki for the matric dance prom. Trevor and his friend hung out with Babiki and her sisters for a couple of months before the dance, getting acquainted. Then, on the night of the matric dance, Babiki refused to get out of the car and go inside. Trevor realized - for the very first time - that Babiki couldn't speak English and he couldn't speak Pedi her language. Ha ha ha. Trevor Noah attended school at HC Jack in Highlands North, Johannesburg Girls dressed up for the matric dance The worst thing that happened in Trevor's life was his mother's marriage to Abel, a car mechanic with a murderous temper and a strong 'master of the house' attitude. Patricia sold her house, quit her job, and impoverished the family to help Abel with his mechanic business Abel was a terrible businessman who drank up the profits and came home intoxicated and abusive. In fits of anger Abel would hit Patricia and slap Trevor around. By the time Trevor finished high school he had to move out. Patricia ultimately left Abel, who eventually became so distraught that he shot her in the head. In addition to his personal story Trevor talks about the evils of apartheid Trevor touches on how this affected himself, his extended family, and his friends Zulu tribe celebration Xhosa tribe celebration Trevor's mother belonged to the Xhosa tribe Trevor's mother survived being shot in the head Trevor doesn't talk about becoming a comedian, his show business career, or becoming host of The Daily Show. The program's original host, Jon Stewart, was terrific and I was sad when he left. Still, Trevor is doing a good job in my opinion. He's personable, smart and funny Trevor makes me laugh every time I watch the show. If Trevor writes a sequel to this book, I'll read it for sure. Thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for a copy of the book. View all 16 comments. I was lucky to see Trevor Noah speak about this book recently, and the way he talked about his story, and his life growing up in South Africa made me all the more eager to read it! The book is a cohesive collection of stories from his childhood and early adulthood, and though I am not typically a reader of much non-fiction, I found this book truly compelling and hard to put down! Noah has a way of really drawing you in, and making you feel as though you are there with him, experiencing his memori I was lucky to see Trevor Noah speak about this book recently, and the way he talked about his story, and his life growing up in South Africa made me all the more eager to read it! Noah has a way of really drawing you in, and making you feel as though you are there with him, experiencing his memories and seeing South Africa during and after apartheid as he did. He doesn't glorify himself and doesn't shy from describing certain flaws in himself, his family and the world he grew up in, which makes it seem very real and believable, and makes me wish I knew even more. I have never visited South Africa, but I felt like a true armchair traveler reading "Born a Crime", and learning about the way of life of "ordinary" people, instead of monumental historical figures like Nelson Mandela. I liked how Noah gave character to individual neighborhood I had never heard of, but can now visualize with a sense of greater understanding. His descriptions of the people in this book make them come to life, especially his mother, who raised Noah under difficult circumstances and to whom the book is dedicated. She is such a central character, if you will, of this book, and Noah doesn't sugarcoat her actions or mentality, which sometimes made it difficult for me to fully understand the devotion he felt toward her, when she so often put him down, beat him, and forced him to accept that her second husband and father of Noah's two younger brothers was a violent, deeply unpleasant man, whom she did not leave until it was almost too late. This was difficult to read, at times, but definitely served to paint a truly vivid image of her and of their, sometimes fraught, but ultimately loving relationship. The explanation of segregation and divides between race were another element that fascinated me about this story, especially in light of the racial tensions that have arisen in society and culture recently, made more visible through social media and the fast pace of news though they have obviously been there a long time. I knew, of course, of the way apartheid worked, and the extreme division and misery it created, but I did not know of the many different classifications that existed within African communities themselves, that "colored" people, as Noah describes those of mixed race, were not included in black communities or white communities, and that he, being the son of a white man and a black woman, never felt he fit in properly. It is interesting to read about this, and though the book is set in Africa, I think it is, in a way, quite timely, and well worth reading, if only to see that change for the better can happen. Segregation and racism exist everywhere, and therefore people must collectively work against it to create societies that value tolerance and diversity. This was a well-written, thought-provoking book and I would recommend it to fans Trevor Noah, or even those who have never heard of him, but what to be entertained, and learn something in the bargain. View all 13 comments. I have changed my rating to one star. I did not like this book. What tipped the balance for me is the "Go Hitler" chant. The author's explanation was not adequate and I found the whole episode inappropriately drawn. Perhaps this is my own fault. I misunderstood what its central focus was to be. It is less a book about growing up in South Africa than about adolescence, a dysfunctional family and physical abuse. In addition, I did not like the writing style. The first section of the book does offer a bit on South African history but only in sweeping terms. Apartheid practices are viewed through personal events. The book does not follow a strictly chronological order, and I found this at times confusing. Here the writing mirrors adolescent emotions. It is filled with swear words and smart aleck expressions. We hear of his problems with acne, dating and not fitting in. Drinking, hip-hop dancing, a disastrous prom night, bootlegging of CDs and DJ parties may interest others, but not me! While her strong religiosity is emphasized, these beliefs do not always fit well with her other life choices. This left me puzzled. The final events of the book take a very dramatic turn. Ending on this note a reader may feel drawn to express sympathy and compassion. My rating is based solely on my evaluation of the book and does not reflect the compassion I came to feel for the family. There is an all too long section on defecation. Their fierce bond makes this story soar. Growing organically from them is an affecting investigation of identity, ethnicity, language, masculinity, nationality and, most of all, humanity—all issues that the election of Donald Trump in the United States shows are foremost in minds and hearts everywhere. What the reader gleans are the insights that made Noah the thoughtful, observant, empathic man who wrote Born a Crime. Here is a level-headed man, forged by remarkable and shocking life incidents, who is quietly determined and who knows where home and the heart lie. Would this unique story have been published had it been about someone not a celebrity of the planet? Born a Crime offers Americans a second introduction to Trevor Noah, and he makes a real impression. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Los Angeles Review of Books. Retrieved The New York Times. Gannett Company. Penguin Random House website. Penguin Random House. New York Times. Retrieved 29 April

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah, Paperback | Barnes & Noble®

NOOK Book. Audio MP3 on CD. The person hits the ground and rolls for a bit. Then they come to a stop and pop up and dust themselves off, like it was no big deal. Getting thrown out of a moving car hurts way worse than that. I was nine years old when my mother threw me out of a moving car. It happened on a Sunday. I know it was on a Sunday because we were coming home from church, and every Sunday in my childhood meant church. We never missed church. Very Christian. Like indigenous peoples around the world, black South Africans adopted the religion of our colonizers. The white man was quite stern with the native. My childhood involved church, or some form of church, at least four nights a week. Tuesday night was the prayer meeting. Wednesday night was Bible study. Thursday night was Youth church. Friday and Saturday we had off. Time to sin! Then on Sunday we went to church. Three churches, to be precise. The reason we went to three churches was because my mom said each church gave her something different. The first church offered jubilant praise of the Lord. The second church offered deep analysis of the scripture, which my mom loved. The third church offered passion and catharsis; it was a place where you truly felt the presence of the Holy Spirit inside you. Completely by coincidence, as we moved back and forth among these churches, I noticed that each one had its own distinct racial makeup: Jubilant church was mixed church. Analytical church was white church. And passionate, cathartic church, that was black church. Mixed church was Rhema Bible Church. The pastor, Ray McCauley, was an ex-bodybuilder with a big smile and the personality of a cheerleader. Pastor Ray had competed in the Mr. Universe competition. He placed third. The winner that year was Arnold Schwarzenegger. Every week, Ray would be up onstage working really hard to make Jesus cool. It was Christian karaoke, basically. I always had a blast at mixed church. White church was Rosebank Union in Sandton, a very white and wealthy part of Johannesburg. My mom would go to that, and I would go to the youth side, to Sunday school. In Sunday school we got to read cool stories. Noah and the flood was obviously a favorite; I had a personal stake there. I grew up in a home with very little exposure to popular culture. Songs about some guy grinding on a girl all night long? No, no, no. That was forbidden. The only music I knew was from church: soaring, uplifting songs praising Jesus. It was the same with movies. So the Bible was my action movie. Samson was my superhero. A guy beating a thousand people to death with the jawbone of a donkey? Eventually you get to Paul writing letters to the Ephesians and it loses the plot, but the Old Testament and the Gospels? I could quote you anything from those pages, chapter and verse. Then there was black church. There was always some kind of black church service going on somewhere, and we tried them all. No lyrics up on Jumbotrons. But at black church I would sit there for what felt like an eternity, trying to figure out why time moved so slowly. Is it possible for time to actually stop? If so, why does it stop at black church and not at white church? I eventually decided black people needed more time with Jesus because we suffered more. The more time we spent at church, she reckoned, the more blessings we accrued, like a Starbucks Rewards Card. Black church had one saving grace. People possessed by demons would start running up and down the aisles like madmen, screaming in tongues. The ushers would tackle them, like bouncers at a club, and hold them down for the pastor. The person had to fall. You could be a linebacker in the NFL. That pastor was taking you down. Good Lord, that was fun. It was an epic slog. We lived in Eden Park, a tiny suburb way outside Johannesburg. This particular Sunday, the Sunday I was hurled from a moving car, started out like any other Sunday. My mother woke me up, made me porridge for breakfast. I took my bath while she dressed my baby brother Andrew, who was nine months old. The reason she got it for next to nothing was because it was always breaking down. To this day I hate secondhand cars. If there is harvest in spite of blight, the saying goes, one does not credit the blight-but Noah does manage to wring brilliant comedy from it. What also helped was having a mother like Patricia Nombuyiselo Noah. Consider Born a Crime another such gift to her—and an enormous gift to the rest of us. Their fierce bond makes this story soar. Growing organically from them is an affecting investigation of identity, ethnicity, language, masculinity, nationality and, most of all, humanity—all issues that the election of Donald Trump in the United States shows are foremost in minds and hearts everywhere. What the reader gleans are the insights that made Noah the thoughtful, observant, empathic man who wrote Born a Crime. Here is a level-headed man, forged by remarkable and shocking life incidents, who is quietly determined and who knows where home and the heart lie. Would this unique story have been published had it been about someone not a celebrity of the planet? Born a Crime offers Americans a second introduction to Trevor Noah, and he makes a real impression. Noah is quick with a disarming joke, and he skillfully integrates the parallel narratives via interstitial asides between chapters.

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