Born a Crime by Trevor Noah – Audiobook Review
A TOP BOOK CLUB BOOK CHOICE FOR 2020
ONE OF MY FAVORITE BIPOC BOOKS OF 2020
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I went into this book blind. I didn’t know anything about Trevor Noah except for him being a TV show host. All I knew was that this book got glowing reviews, and the audiobook was lauded as amazing. As part of this year’s bookish goals, I have been picking up more non-fiction reads throughout the year. Honestly I couldn’t have picked a better one to start with.
The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime New York Times bestseller about one man’s coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.
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 eighteen personal essays 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.
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah – Audiobook Review
MY THOUGHTS & REVIEW
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Born a Crime was one of the best memoirs I’ve read so far. Perfectly balanced. An autobiography but also a history lesson. A smart, witty and humorous account about a childhood during the Apartheid in South Africa.
Living the life of a biracial child during a time when relations between whites and non-whites were illegal, makes the author’s account even more fascinating. It wasn’t just Trevor Noah’s story, but also in a way his mother’s story.
Their mother/son relationship was unique. At least it felt unique to me. Loving, but also very independent. Trusting, but not without repercussions. Both, Trevor and his mother were smart and strong-willed, especially his mother. She was someone that got things done, especially when it came to her son’s safety.
Their discussions about god had me crack up. And their mother and son dynamic was something special, at least to me, because I wish I had such a rapport with my mom.
Overall, I couldn’t have picked a better audiobook. And it was one of the quickest for me to listen to. Besides looking forward to it every day, I enjoyed every minute of it.
NEWS: The book is being turned into a movie, and Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o is going to play Trevor’s mother Patricia Noah. The movie is currently in Development.
A BEST BOOK OF 2020
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Born a Crime by Trevor Noah – Audiobook Review
I have definitely seen this around, but this is the first time I’ve actually read what it’s about. Sounds like a great read! Glad you enjoyed it!!
It was an AMAZING memoir. I never watched him, and only new so much, but the way he told his story was exceptional. He has a fantastic sense of humor, without going over the top. A must read if you love memoirs. 😀