Born a Crime

Stories from a South African Childhood

By: Trevor Noah

Narrated by: Trevor Noah

The compelling, inspiring, (often comic) coming-of-age story of Trevor Noah, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.

One of the comedy world's brightest new voices, Trevor Noah is a light-footed but sharp-minded observer of the absurdities of politics, race and identity, sharing jokes and insights drawn from the wealth of experience acquired in his relatively young life. As host of the US hit show The Daily Show with Trevor Noah, he provides viewers around the globe with their nightly dose of biting satire, but here Noah turns his focus inward, giving readers a deeply personal, heartfelt and humorous look at the world that shaped him.

Noah was born a crime, son of a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother, at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents' indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the first years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, take him away.

A collection of eighteen personal stories, Born a Crime tells the story of a mischievous young boy growing into a restless young man as he struggles to find his place in a world where he was never supposed to exist. Born a Crime is equally the story of that young man's fearless, rebellious and fervently religious mother - a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence and abuse that ultimately threatens her own life.

Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Noah illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and an unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a personal portrait of an unlikely childhood in a dangerous time, as moving and unforgettable as the very best memoirs and as funny as Noah's own hilarious stand-up. Born a Crime is a must listen.

(P)2016 Audible, Inc.©2016 Trevor Noah

Critic reviews

Essential reading... Engaging, fast-paced and vivid, leavened with insight and wit . . . Born a Crime does more to expose apartheid - its legacy, its pettiness, its small-minded stupidity and its damage - than any other recent history book or academic text

Powerful and unique

A brilliant memoir, bonding and hilarious... Fantastic

Witty and brilliant...You'd be hard-pressed to find a better origin story

Trevor Noah's childhood stories are told with all the hilarity and intellect that characterizes his comedy, while illuminating a dark and brutal period in South Africa's history that must never be forgotten

Compelling . . . By turns alarming, sad, and funny, Born a Crime is not just an unnerving account of growing up in South Africa under apartheid, but a love letter to Trevor Noah's remarkable mother

A soul-nourishing pleasure... an enormous gift

A book to read now

A memoir with heft... Astonishingly fearless... this story soars

Mind-blowing

Trevor Noah has a real story to tell -- and tells it well... A little scary, but trust me -- it's funny

An affecting memoir. . . and a love letter to his mother

Extraordinary . . . essential reading on every level. It's hard to imagine a finer job

Noah proves a gifted storyteller, deftly lacing his poignant tales with amusing irony

Incisive, funny, and vivid, Trevor Noah's electrifying memoir sparkles with staggering true tales . . . and his candid and compassionate essays deepen our perception of the complexities of race, gender, and class

A gritty memoir . . . studded with insight and provocative social criticism . . . and brilliant storytelling and acute observations

Humble, candid and funny

Thoughtful, observant and empathetic...warm and human

Treats what could be a dark topic with humour and light

Captivating

A very captivating story, told from the heart. A mixture of funny moments, motivating contexts and glaring realities. The story was easy to follow, and it was told in such a fashion that I always wanted to hear more. Trevor Noah is truly an artist. I really look forward to the film adaptation.

Life changing book

Loved it!!!
And what made it most enjoyable was the fact that he narrated the book himself!

Incredible story of a outsider in a racial society

Life can be much harder and as the Gita says, you cannot change what life throws at you but you can change your response to the situation. This is a poignant story of an outsider.

Who wouldn't enjoy this story

Trevor is the outsider who makes his way through the grim circumstances of apartheid by using his great empathy, skills. & talents, with a light touch.
It offers also a tribute to his mother, a woman of great courage & humour.
Trevor is terrific with accents too, which makes the performance funny & entertaining.
It is a book anyone would enjoy.

One of the most beautiful stories ever.

Genuine story, as a South African I truly see it and relate with it completely.