Book review: Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Let me start by saying that I do not typically gravitate towards the non-fiction genre of books as some of you might already be aware. A good story is what spurred my childhood love of reading and that doesn’t seem to have changed even after all these years. I consider myself to be a mildly imaginative and creative person by nature so escaping into a world of fiction where there is an absorbing story and compelling characters is my jam.

That said, I’ve been making a conscious effort to broaden my knowledge and perspective by interspersing fiction novels with non-fiction books in my reading list. I’ve read a couple of really thought-provoking non-fiction books in the last two years. They do tend to derail my reading pace but in the interest of personal growth, I’m determined to keep going. 

I added Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah to my reading list after seeing the sky-high ratings on Goodreads. The title of the book also piqued my curiosity. Born a crime? That sounded serious. 

Prior to reading the book, my husband and I had watched The Daily Show many times as well as several stand-up stage performances by the charming and hilarious Trevor Noah. But I had no idea if his flair for comedy and public speaking would translate into a good autobiography. Would the book be well-written? Would it be uplifting or bleak? What could I learn from it? These were some thoughts that entered my mind. In the end, I was not only pleasantly surprised but wowed even! 

In this fascinating memoir about his life, Trevor Noah, shines light on the complexities growing up as the child of a Swiss-German white father and Xhosa black mother during the dying days of apartheid in South Africa. His very existence as a biracial child during those times was considered illegal and even after apartheid fell, he continued to face the unique challenges from his ill-defined racial identity. He wasn’t black and he wasn’t white so he didn’t 'fit in' anywhere. 

In a nutshell, Born a Crime is an amalgamation of tumultuous history, brilliant storytelling, acute observations and meaningful reflection of the political climate and culture of South Africa during the 80s and 90s. At the crux of the memoir is Noah’s relationship with his mother, a single and formidable black woman who subverted the system at every step and equipped her son with essential skills that he needed in life to succeed.

Noah opens his memoir with a line stating that as a 9-year old child, his mother pushed him out of a moving bus. As shocking as that sounds, he proceeds to explain just why she did that and from there onwards, you just want to know more.

In a cohesive collection of stories with a mostly chronological timeline, the legacies of colonialism, absurdities of apartheid, racial profiling, gender discrimination, abject poverty, lack of opportunities, lure of crime, conundrums of adolescence and consequences of domestic abuse are all explored with deep personal insight. 

I enjoyed reading the verbal sparring between Trevor and his mother on religion. Then came Trevor’s mad childhood antics (he accidentally burned a house down), his clever use of language to fit in, his awkward trysts with romance and the catastrophe of having a friend named Hitler in the wrong place which again made for engaging reading. His mother Patricia’s backstory, the family's early hardships in the ghetto, Trevor’s often sketchy yet profitable ventures and his run-in with the law were more serious aspects of the book but absorbing nonetheless. 

Despite the initial setbacks Trevor Noah faced in life, it is admirable how he kept his spirit (and humor!) intact and went on to become one of the brightest exports from South Africa. Aside from race, having been raised solely by women in a patriarchal society and having first-hand witnessed domestic abuse growing up, his earnest perspectives on topics ranging from mental health issues, gender equality and women empowerment make so much sense to me now. He credits his rebel mother for making him the man he is today and after reading his life story, it is quite apparent that she deserves it. There are a lot of takeaways from this memoir but the most important one is - call your Mom! 

"People love to say, "Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day." Teach a man to fish and he'll eat for a lifetime." What they don't say is, "And it would be nice if you give him a fishing rod." That's the part of the analogy that's missing."

~Trevor Noah, Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood 

I have always liked Trevor Noah as a comedian and talk show host but I have a newfound respect for him as a writer. Born a Crime is a refreshingly transparent account of his life with all his flaws out in the open for scrutiny. At no point does he wallow in self-pity, make excuses for his past actions or attempt to glorify himself. Noah’s writing is expressive, perceptive, impactful and laced with wit and wry humor. Since I was familiar with Noah’s manner of speech and comic sensibilities, as I was reading the conversations in the book, I could almost hear him speaking the words aloud in his South African accent with his trademark facial expressions, mannerisms and mischievous glint flashing before my eyes! From personal experience, I’d say the reading experience is definitely enhanced if you are acquainted with his onscreen persona. There were several instances in the book that made me erupt into giggles despite the serious subject matter. The genius of comedy allows us to acknowledge the heart-breaking realities and grave injustices of life through the protective lens of laughter. The fast-pace and engrossing content compelled me to finish this book in two days. 

I would have loved if there was an epilogue in which Noah briefly touched on his emigration to the United States of America and how he kick-started his high-profile career. That would have not only made for absorbing reading but also offered a satisfying conclusion to the memoir. 

Trevor Noah’s incredible life story is one that needs to be told and coming directly from him, is a treat to take in. Honest, illuminating and inspiring all at once, this is a gem of a book. 

My rating for this book is

And just so you know, I don't give out many 5-star ratings so this is a must-read in my humble opinion!

Have you read Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood? What did you think of it? Leave a comment to let me know.

Cheers,

Megha