Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood image number 0

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime story of one man's coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY Michiko Kakutani, New York Times - USA Today - San Francisco Chronicle - NPR - Esquire - Newsday - 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.

Praise for Born a Crime

" A] compelling new memoir . . . By turns alarming, sad and funny, Trevor Noah's] book provides a harrowing look, through the prism of Mr. Noah's family, at life in South Africa under apartheid. . . . Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to the author's remarkable mother."--Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

" An] unforgettable memoir."--Parade

"What makes Born a Crime such a soul-nourishing pleasure, even with all its darker edges and perilous turns, is reading Noah recount in brisk, warmly conversational prose how he learned to negotiate his way through the bullying and ostracism. . . . 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."--USA Today

" Noah] thrives with the help of his astonishingly fearless mother. . . . Their fierce bond makes this story soar."--People

Item Information Item Information

Format: TradePaperback
Author: Noah, Trevor
ISBN: 9780399588198
Condition: Used
Dimensions: 9.15 x 0.66
Number Of Pages: 304
Publication Year: 2019

Customer Reviews

Rating Snapshot

5 ★ 63%

4 ★ 38%

3 ★ 0%

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4.6

8 Ratings

0 Recommendations

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A Humorous Look at a Childhood Under Apartheid

Kristal L. - 3 years 9 months ago

Trevor Noah's memoir is less a self-aggrandizing tell-all and more of a love letter to the family who raised him - most importantly, to his mother, who became a criminal under apartheid just by giving birth to him, and who raised him to think for himself and forge his own path. Noah's book talks frankly about the challenges of growing up mixed-race in South Africa, but while he does educate the reader throughout about the realities of apartheid, that isn't the main focus here. His relationships with his mother and friends, as well as his antagonistic step-father, are the turning points on which he hinges the book, and are consistently the funniest and most touching stories throughout. Even if you're not a fan of the "Daily Show" with him as show-runner, I recommend giving this book a try!
HPB Staff Review
Language, even more than color, defines who you are to people.

Samantha C. - 5 years 8 months ago

Trevor Noah is, of course, hilarious, and this book certainly had its moments. But the candor with which he wrote of his past was shocking and beautiful. He grew up with an estranged father he rarely saw, he went to a school where he was an outcast, and his mother was severely injured by his step-father. He also DJ'd, played pranks, and routinely got the better of his mother's ire. It truly is a beautiful story about a boy growing into a hilarious man.
HPB Staff Review
Good condition

AMY L. - 5 years 11 months ago

The condition of the book is in the good shape, delivery on time.
Such a wonderful book! I absolutely could not put it down.

Irene C. - 5 years 11 months ago

This was an phenomenal book! A true coming of age story about a young man who grows up in South Africa during the apartheid. Every race is segregated. And it's illegal to have a mixed child, which he is. This book is about his survival and the great lengths his mother takes to keep him safe and alive. His mothers love is unwavering. And his sense of humor is unstoppable. I highly, HIGHLY recommend this book. It was a fantastic read. I learned so much about not just one culture, but many different cultures in South Africa. This book kept me interested. Smiling. And at moments crying. It has left a beautifully wonderful impression on me.
If you haven’t read this book....you should.

Erica W. - 5 years 11 months ago

By far one of my absolute FAVORITE books! I wasn’t sure what to expect exactly but when recommended by my sister I dove right in. There was history, insight, humor and even unexpected emotional tuggings This is a book that I would definitely read over and over again....even purchase an audiobook for. You won’t be disappointed. Thank you Trevor Noah.

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Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

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A Humorous Look at a Childhood Under Apartheid

Language, even more than color, defines who you are to people.

Good condition

Such a wonderful book! I absolutely could not put it down.

If you haven’t read this book....you should.