Summary
Born a Crime is a compelling memoir by renowned comedian Trevor Noah, detailing his extraordinary childhood in apartheid South Africa. Published in 2016, the book quickly became a New York Times bestseller and garnered widespread critical acclaim. Noah's unique perspective as a mixed-race child born to a Black mother and white father during a time when such unions were illegal provides a poignant and often humorous insight into a tumultuous period in South African history.
The audiobook version of Born a Crime, narrated by Noah himself, has received particular praise. It won the Audie Award for Best Male Narrator in 2018, with Noah's ability to effortlessly switch between accents and dialects in English, Xhosa, and Zulu earning him accolades. The audiobook also topped Audible’s list of the Best Celebrity Memoirs of 2016 and was named the highest-rated new book of the year.
Plot
In Born a Crime, Trevor Noah recounts his childhood in South Africa during apartheid and his coming of age after the policy was abolished. As the son of a Black Xhosa mother and a white Swiss-German father, Noah's very existence was illegal under apartheid laws. The book opens with a dramatic scene of his mother throwing him from a moving van to protect him from potential violence.
Growing up, Noah was often kept indoors to hide him from authorities who could have taken him away. His mother, a devoutly religious and fiercely independent woman, raised him primarily on her own with help from his grandmother. They lived in Soweto, a Black township, where Noah learned to navigate the complex racial dynamics of South African society.
As apartheid ended, Noah and his mother experienced new freedoms but also new challenges. The book details Noah's mischievous nature and his various schemes to make money, including selling pirated CDs. It also recounts his struggles with identity as a mixed-race child who didn't fully fit into any racial category in post-apartheid South Africa.
The memoir culminates with a harrowing account of Noah's stepfather shooting his mother in the head. Miraculously, she survived the attack. Throughout the book, Noah's relationship with his courageous and determined mother forms the emotional core of the story, illustrating how her love and sacrifice shaped his life and worldview.
