Born a Crime
Stories from a South African childhood
What You Need to Know
Born a Crime is an autobiographical comedy book written by the South African comedian Trevor Noah, published in 2016. Published by Penguin Random House, its a New York Times-bestseller and the winner of numerous awards.
It covers Noah’s time growing up in South Africa: “the memoir of one man’s coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.” From the publisher:
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 audiobook version is narrated by Trevor Noah himself.
Why it’s a Recommendation
This is an absolutely outstanding book. At the time of writing, it has a 4.48 rating on Goodreads, which is exceptionally rare (outside of final installments of popular fantasy trilogies which seem to get a boost from the fact that only fans of the series get to the end), and I think the Goodreads community is 100% correct here.
Born a Crime is not only laugh-out-loud hilarious, but is remarkably poignant and insightful. It offers compelling commentary on some deep subjects: colonialism, race, religion, family, and I found myself being able to look at the world from some new angles as a result. It’s the book that I have recommended more than anything else (ever, I think), and is certainly my favorite book of at least the last five years. Noah has had plenty of criticism as host of the Daily Show over the years, but I think he’s absolutely in his element here and I’d be excited to read anything he writes next. Please give it a try.
Loved the audiobook!