Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah
Born a Crime, by Trevor Noah is an interesting memoir about growing up in South Africa as a mixed-race male. His mother was classified by the government as black but his father was white. Trevor was classified as colored.
Summary:
Under apartheid law, which was in effect at the time of Noah’s birth, interracial relations were illegal. If caught, there was a fine and imprisonment of 5 years. His birth was a crime.
Trevor was born on February 20, 1984, in Johannesburg, South Africa. He was brought up by his mother and also by his grandmother, for a short time Both had to keep him hidden from the government. He spent much of his younger years inside.
This memoir focuses on Trevor’s childhood and young adult life. He was neither black nor white and had an extremely hard time fitting in. He was also very poor growing up.
His mother was a very strong influence in his life. His parents never married, nor did they have a close relationship. They were simply friends, secret friends because of the interracial restrictions. His mother wanted a child and as a result, she talked his father into providing that for her.
Trevor’s mother was religious, attending three different churches on Sunday, They had to take public buses to each. She taught him to be strong and independent. She also taught him to communicate in a number of different languages, which helped him out during his life.
His mother was a very strict disciplinarian with mischevious Trevor. He became the fastest runner at his school. When he acted up his mother (a fast runner in her own right), would chase him so she could discipline him. He did not always outrun her.
As Trevor grew older, his father moved away and his mother married a man who became very abusive. Trevor, therefore, learned quickly to fend for himself. He became resourceful, making money first by reselling his school cafeteria food, then later selling pirated CD’s, and Disk Jocking in a sketchy area of a neighboring town.
When he was 18 Trevor had a small part in a South African soap opera, then hosted his own radio show before concentrating on comedy. In 2011 he moved to the United States. He was on The Tonight Show and also The Late Show with David Letterman.
In 2014 he became a contributor to The Daily Show and in 2015 replaced Jon Stewert as host of the show.
My thoughts:
This book is at times funny and at other times very serious. It certainly describes the atmosphere in South Africa during apartheid. After reading it I have an understanding of what life was like in the 1980s and 1990s in South Africa.
I have empathy for Trevor Noah. Growing up he did not fit in with any group. He was not black, not white and more importantly, even the colored in South Africa did not accept him as one of theirs. But he persevered. However, in the end, his mother did teach him to become a strong man.
This book was not written by a professional literary author. But it is authentic and that makes it work.
If you are a fan of Trevor Noah then you definitely want to pick up this book. But, if you are like me and did not know much about him you will find it interesting. Recommended for all.
My rating:
4 out of 5 stars
Other book suggestions:
- Educated by Tara Westover
- Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
- Playing With the Enemy by Gary Moore