Born a Crime

So many of you recommended this and I am so happy I read it as I absolutely loved it. I have been a huge, huge fan of Trevor Noah (and of course The Daily Show) for a very long time and had somehow not realized he had a book. And it’s amazing. As one would expect, Trevor tackles heavy stuff with grace, wit, and (when it is appropriate), humor. This is the story of his childhood in South Africa. Because of apartheid his birth was a literal crime (his father was a White Swiss man and his mother was a Black Xhosa woman), so he was kept inside for most of his early years. Then, as he got older we learn about his more mischievous teenage years (from his love of computers as a teen to his early encounters with girls and life as a “colored” child – not Black, not White, never quite fitting in.) The book is at once light and optimistic while also talking about serious things like domestic abuse. I cannot recommend it enough and while I am usually a paper books purist, this one is especially wonderful as an audiobook as Trevor himself narrates it. My favorite part was everything in regard to his mother: fiercely independent and fervently religious. She seems like an absolutely incredible person. I will warn you that the last 25 minutes are extremely intense but everything wraps up okay in the end.