Born a Crime : Stories from a South African Childhood Paperback – International Edition, January 1, 2017

The story, the message, the themes, all well done and developed throughout the story. Inspiring story of recovery, hard work, and family. An unstoppable mother-son force battling the world out. From a drunk stepdad to a white father and hours or church in between, I couldn’t book this book down. Totally recommend this read and enjoy!

I didn't have many expectations going into "Born a Crime," which is maybe the right approach for a memoir. I knew only that Noah had become the host of "The Daily Show," and I was rooting for him as a relative unknown stepping into some big shoes. He seemed funny and charismatic, and I knew he was South African, but after reading "Born a Crime," I'm so much more impressed by its author. One expectation I had for the book was that it would be funny, which it is in many parts. Noah's writing style is not just conversational but natural; he is obviously a born storyteller. But he also structures the book in such a way that it builds and builds. Every story has a purpose, even the hilarious story of how, as a boy, Noah decided to poop in his kitchen. It's a story that ultimately depicts not only the poverty of his upbringing but also the superstitious nature of those around him. A refrain in "Born a Crime" is that when people have nothing, they must rely on faith. For Noah, that was always faith in his mother; for his mother, it was faith in God. It's truly a miracle that Noah has succeeded to the degree he has. I've read a lot of memoirs that left me wondering why the writer felt compelled to share his/her story, but there was none of that here. It begins with the title. Noah's birth, to a black mother and white father, was literally a criminal act in apartheid South Africa. His whole life growing up, Noah is an outcast. He doesn't seem to fit in with any group. And he grew up in abject poverty. Some of us think we have an idea what it might be like to be poor, but Noah lived it. At times his family ate goat eyeballs, worms, and scraps meant for dogs to survive. When he stayed with his grandmother, they shared a latrine with other families. I feel fortunate to have found this book but especially to have read it during a period of racial unrest in America. Noah experienced and witnessed severe racism in the era of apartheid and the period following its end. Each of his chapters begins with a brief discourse on race and its broader implications. Noah has gained such a nuanced understanding of the topic. One of his stories--about how a black dance group he helped form with a star dancer named Hitler went to dance at a white Jewish school--was almost unbelievable for the way it mixed history with racism and classism. But the real heart of "Born a Crime" is Noah's mother. She is a free spirit and independent thinker, and it's obvious that her determination is what drives Noah to break the cycle of poverty and racism, to avoid paying what he refers to as the "black tax." Noah gives examples from his own experience to show that poor black people need more than just some moral support. As he writes, if you give a man a fish, he will eat for a day. If you teach him to fish, he will eat for a lifetime. But it also helps to give him a fishing pole. That really stuck with me. In South Africa, blacks were graduating high school, but if they didn't look the right way or talk the right way, they still couldn't find work. In this book, we see the unfairness of the police state and the criminal justice system--most powerfully, as it applies to Noah's mother, who tries to have her husband arrested repeatedly for physical abuse, to no avail. This problem leads to a shocking conclusion to "Born a Crime." Again, all I can say is that I can't believe Noah survived the circumstances of his own upbringing, and I thank him for sharing his life in this powerful book. It's a story that needed to be told. My only complaint is not really a complaint, but the book runs from the author's birth to his early twenties, when he is still a rising comedian in South Africa. I'd love to see a sequel showing how Noah came the rest of the way from up-and-comer to host of "The Daily Show." I'm sure that's another journey well worth taking.

I got to see Noah in Philly last year and I liked him a lot but something seemed off. Once I read the book it came together as to what I was picking up on. Great book. Stay with as with most books can lose the thread a bit but then OMG did it pick up. As a Clinician it had fantastic insight and perspective. I highly recommend the book.

Noah’s account of living under apartheid is just enough for older students to begin to understand the historical significance. I wish he would interview his mother on the show, but her fan club might rival his! Entertaining and informative read.

This story has little to no boring parts. Its very relatable at times and sums up a lot of experiences we appreciate about childhood. This story paints a great mental picture and is worth the read front to back

Thank you, Trevor Noah, for this account of your stories which brought me to tears. I can honestly say I have never read a book by a celebrity that moved me like this. A 5 star GEM. 💎

I found this book funny and serious at the same time. As an African American I found myself comparing my experience as an African American to Trevor's experience as a South African. What I found so interesting is the similarities and differences in our cultures that has a profound impact on how one views the world. This book was so interesting that I could not put it down until I was finished with it. I highly recommend this book. It is well written whereby you do not get bored, nor are pages filled with words that are unnecessary to tell his story.

It is a must read, a true story that is quite interesting. I learned so much more about South Africa and a lot of its different cultures and people.

I've thought highly of Trevor Noah whenever I've seen him on the TV, so I thought this would be an interesting and informative read. From the start though, it was a bit confusing, with the timeline jumping back and forward. This could be forgiven if the narrative was consistent, but it's very contradictory in so many ways.We're told that Trevor being mixed race, a crime during apartheid, meant that he had to be hidden away and that his grandmother wouldn't let him leave the house or even play in the yard - but then we're also told that he was so well known in the neighbourhood that people would point him and his mother out, and also that they went to three different churches (black, white and coloured) several times a week. He also talks about how his mother paid no mind to the rules and that she and Trevor went everywhere and experienced lots of different things - so which is it? Was he hidden away for fear that the authorities would take him away, or was living a full and varied life with a mum determined to give him many experiences? Since he makes both these claims, how are we to know?Similarly, we're told that he and his mother were so poor that they often resorted to eating broth from bones the butcher sold for dog food, but then he talks about the weekly car trips he and his mother took, and how his mother would buy a ton of fireworks every single year for Guy Fawkes. Another example is how he talks about being very aware of the constant threat of danger and violence, but then talks about how his scholarship to a private school from the age of three meant it was years before he was aware of the reality of apartheid. It all quickly smacks of a narrator who is wildly exaggerating the story at one end or the other and who can't keep track of what they've said, which then stops the reader feeling at all invested. Everyone knows that autobiographies aren't 100% accurate, but so many contradictions just gets annoying, fast.I'll often plough to the end of a book even if it's annoying me, but I checked out at the point where Trevor talks about how in their culture, black cats were perceived as witches, and how his mother got two black kittens anyway. When they returned home one day to find them dead, horribly mutilated and hanging from their gate, Trevor's reaction was simply to think that cats are dicks anyway, and the cats deserved it for not showing him affection. This seemed to be not only the reaction he had at the time, but the way he still feels about it in retrospect, so I had no interest in reading any further. Glad I only spent 99p on the kindle version, but it wasn't even worth that.

Trevor Noah has always been unapologetically open and honest about the world. It's what makes him such a great host of 'The Daily Show'. He gets the right balance of humour to go with his casual storytelling style.Reading 'Born A Crime' was such an eye-opening insight into what was actually going on during and after Apartheid. Firstly, Noah is only 33. Apartheid ended in living memory. It's a terrifying thought, how recent that is. Which leads onto my next point: we weren't taught about this nearly enough.It's always different hearing about these sorts of experiences from someone who lived through it. Particularly because Noah is biracial. He didn't look black enough to be black, despite growing up around black people and never seeing himself as anything else. But he also wasn't white enough to be white. His family weren't particularly well-off. He didn't have the latest brands. He fit in enough that he was still an outsider, always flitting from group to group.His mother, thought, is a force to be reckoned with. She's incredibly strong and independent. As a single mother with a biracial child she had to be. She actively sought out ways to undermine the white authorities. It was Noah and his mother against the world. A team. It was wonderful to read about such a strong family bond. Despite everything going crazy around them they had each other.This isn't just the story of a young man's rise to fame, but a story of family, support, and unconditional love.

I've always enjoyed Trevor Noah as a comedian so wanted to read about his life. Having seen him in a few interviews I had a vague idea of what to expect; his life story and book exceeded my expectations.I found his journey and that of his family (especially his mother) fascinating. Not only do we get to read his bio, but we also get an insight into what it was like being a child growing up during apartheid in South Africa.His writing style and his personality reflect how he is on tv, he is intelligent, funny, charming and honest.Without spoiling anything - be prepared for a roller coaster ride.Was very disappointed when I got to the end of the book. I may have to read it again!I thoroughly recommend it.

Unbelievably moving. Will have you laughing and then tearing up a few sentences later.This excerpt... literally, mind blown:“Yes, it was horrific. But I often wonder, with African atrocities like in the Congo, how horrific were they? The thing Africans don’t have that Jewish people do have is documentation. The Nazis kept meticulous records, took pictures, made films. And that’s really what it comes down to. Holocaust victims count because Hitler counted them. Six million people killed. We can all look at that number and rightly be horrified. But when you read through the history of atrocities against Africans, there are no numbers, only guesses. It’s harder to be horrified by a guess.”

Interesting book in the sense that I feel I learned a lot about South Africa and some of its inhabitants, but the story in itself doubles back quite a few times : this is an autobiography so you would normally have a fairly linear narrative ark but it is literally all over the place : for instance , you are reading about Trevor at that school from year 1 to 5 ( as an example) then you go back to his early years from a different prospective , then to his Teen age years the double back again to his early childhood and so on .Also , the author contradicts himself a few times , which makes me think that perhaps there is a bit of ‘poetic licence ‘ in this book . Also , there is virtually nothing about hoe he started in his career , we leave him freshly out of Jail , and it then jumps to his Mum being shot and all we know is that at that point he had been estranged from him Mum a, living with his cousin and was a comedian . Ok . How did all of that happen ?A shame, really , as with some editing it could have been a good book .