Born A Crime is an intimate yet hilarious collection of stories, as lived and narrated by South African comedian Trevor Noah.

Trevor Noah was born in Johannesburg, South Africa to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother during apartheid. According to Immortality Act 1927, such a union between Europeans and natives in South Africa was a punishable crime. Thus, Trevor Noah was a product of crime in the eyes of the government and an odd one out in the eyes of society.

Growing up, he struggled with placing himself in society as his skin color characterized him as white whereas his soul was always captivated by his Black roots. Be it at school, church, clubs, or even prison, Noah always found himself an outlier. In Born A Crime, he has hilariously documented these experiences of his, along with his relationship with his mother and his family. What has been established as a comedic autobiography is also at times deeply emotional and thought-provoking.

How did it make me feel?

I don’t usually prefer reading an auto-biography but since Born A Crime came out, I knew I had to read this one. I’ve always loved Trever Noah with his hilarious comedy routines and his stances on social affairs. I immediately fell in love with this book. I loved how honest Noah was in his storytelling. Not only with the funny parts but also with the significant, vulnerable moments, Noah has left no stone unturned.

Most importantly, for me, coming from a third-world country, I could relate to so many aspects of this storytelling. The idiosyncrasies of a poor society were so evident and relatable, it absolutely blew my mind. It was sad but at the same time, it gave me such warmth to draw things out of my own experience back home. Absolutely loved it! The only thing that would have made me love this story more, is if it had a glimpse of how Noah started his journey as a comedian.

I highly recommend Born A Crime. Get your own copy from Amazon. If you use my link to buy, I may get a small commission at NO additional cost to you! It will help me keep my blog running! 🙂 Thank you for your support!