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Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood

4.4(423)
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About the book

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.

Editions (13)

ISBN9781473635289
PublisherDoubleday Canada
Publication Date12/31/16

Reviews & Ratings

423 ratings

41 reviews

4.4

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  • ayako_reads
    ayako_reads

    57 Followers

    4.5

    Es war eine sehr emotionale Biographie von ihm. Welche in einer Zeit noch spielt wo es verboten war in Afrika, dass zwei verschiedene Menschen ein Mixed Child zeugen durften.

    Apr 27, 2025

  • udreameru
    udreameru

    1 Followers

    5.0

    What a life story! By narrating anecdotes from his childhood, Trevor Noah gives insights into what experiences, influences and values made him the person and brilliant comedian he is today. Although it never feels like lecturing, he also reminds and educates about how it was to grow up in South Africa shortly before and after the end of the horrific apartheid regime. A truly inspiring book. I'm keen to see how as the host of the "Daily Show" he will help us to see the funny side of the world while it continues to go crazy...

    Aug 10, 2025

  • sunnysunshine88
    sunnysunshine88

    17 Followers

    5.0

    „The genius of apartheid was convincing people who were the overwhelming majority to turn on each other. Apart hate, is what it was. You separate people into groups and make them hate one another so you can run them all.“ Durch eine Südafrikareise habe ich bereits die Erfahrung machen können, wie stark die Kluft zwischen Arm und Reich in diesem Land ist. Dies war wirklich sehr prägend, da es aus einer europäischen Perspektive wirklich sehr schwer vorstellbar ist, dass auch Jahre nach der Apartheid die Hautfarbe immer noch eine sehr große Rolle im Alltag spielt. Man muss Trevor Noah als Comedian nicht kennen um dieses Buch zu lieben. Nach dem Lesen seiner Geschichte ist es aber umso bemerkenswerter, dass er es aus diesen schwierigen Verhältnissen auf die Bühnen der Welt geschafft hat. Geboren als Sohn einer Xhosa und eines Schweizers, hätte er nach den Gesetzen während der Apartheid nicht existieren „dürfen“- daher der Titel „Born a Crime“. Trevor Noah nimmt uns in diesem Buch mit auf die Reise durch seine Kindheit und Jugend in Südafrika und schildert auf eine zum Teil ernste als auch witzige Weise all die guten Momente und schrecklichen Erfahrungen, die er gemacht hat. Dieses Buch lehrt uns sehr viel über Apartheid, die Umstände in Südafrika in dieser Zeit und gibt uns Einblicke welchen Herausforderungen sich nicht-weiße Menschen stellen mussten. Zeitgleich ist es auch ein Liebesbrief an seine Mutter, die ihn sehr konsequent erzogen hat und ihm mit all ihren Mitteln und dem starken Glauben zu Gott wie eine Löwin in jeder Lebensphase zur Seite stand. Ein Jahreshighlight!

    May 19, 2026

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