Book Review of Born a Crime by Trevor Noah

I'm sure most of my readers are familiar with Trevor Noah. Born a Crime is his humorous memoir of growing up with a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother in South Africa during apartheid, when a relationship with someone of another race was punishable by prison sentence. Needless to say, Noah has an engaging story to tell. And, with his trademark wit and sharply sardonic cultural observation, he tells it well.

Born a Crime doesn't feel like a book, so much as it feels like a collection of essays, each chapter independently delving into a different facet of Noah's childhood, which is of stark contrast the young experiences of many of his readers. In addition to his honest portrayal of his upbringing and the political climate in which it happened, Noah also brings the personality of a lovable rascal--so different from that of the typical memoirist, which is refreshing and helps the book come alive. Many people who grow up to write their memoirs were quiet readers, social outcasts, nerds, or dealt with abusive situations at home. Noah's bent toward juvenile delinquency and his uniquely honest way of relating to his mom help make his portrayal of his childhood self a triumph.

Ultimately, when one picks up Born a Crime, one is signing on for many things: a small, but painless, civics lesson in apartheid, a carefully-curated selection of Noah's most meaningful or entertaining boyhood memories, and all of it served up with the treatment of Noah's personal humorous style, which will bring audiences back to his narrative again and again. This book fills all of the promises it has made, and more. 

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.