Born a Crime

Stories from a South African Childhood

Paperback, 290 pages

English language

Published Sept. 21, 2019 by Spiegel & Grau, One World.

ISBN:
9780399588198
OCLC Number:
1077955379

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5 stars (2 reviews)

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

21 editions

Stories of Trevor Noah (and South Africa)

5 stars

The book starts light-hearted the same way young Trevor takes his life. He takes it as a fact, to be a born crime, somehow different from the rest of the family. As the author Trevor Noah puts his childhood into perspective - with entertaining anecdotes and insights. Many stories in the book create a mix of emotions to process. I needed often day-long breaks where I was just reflecting over a story.

Nearly every story brings a broader understanding of Apartheid and the struggles in South Africa. It makes you understand how unfair everything was set-up by design. How it evolved from colonialism to a modern police state - and eventually felt apart.

The book is well written and combines personal life with the day-to-day history of South Africa in a unique way. Whether you find Trevor interesting or the history of South Africa, this is a book for you.