Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Jun 20, 2021 Lucinda rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Travelling about on public transport lately has given me lots of listening time. Up to chapter 10 and really enjoying this book.

I really enjoyed listening to Trevor Noah narrate his Autobiography as it gave me an insight into a life I had no experience with as a 6th generation Caucasian Aussie. Growing up in the 80s I had heard of South Africa & apartheid and knew it was a bad thing, but didn't really understand the implications of living within that system of governance. ...more

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Jun 06, 2022 Deb rated it it was amazing

Shelves: memoir, nonfiction, bipoc

A truly excellent memoir—insightful, horrifying, funny, warm. It’s a love letter to Noah’s mom, a coming-of-age story, and a history lesson on South Africa all rolled into one. And what I particularly liked is that it ends before he became a famous comedian, so it’s unique in the famous person memoir genre—it has almost nothing to do with what ultimately became of Noah and everything to do with where he came from and the forces that shaped him.

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May 26, 2022 Katie rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: borrowed-from-the-library, memoir, audio-book, 2021, nonfiction

A perfect blend of humor and perspective, I loved every minute of this. The stories he shares give you incredible insight into the world he grew up in...family, poverty, race...but in a way that made you see the similarities at the same time you see the glaring differences (at least for me.) He also drops in these little "lessons" so seamlessly, that you just sit there going, "Wow." He makes you see bigger issues from a whole different tilt. And did I mention the laughs?!? You knew he was going ...more

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Aug 20, 2019 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: book-club, memoir-and-bio, non-fiction, humor, audiobook

I am super duper late to the party. I was holding off on reading this as it was chosen for one of my book club titles and I wanted to read it with my group. Aaaaand of course, this is one discussion I will miss due to vacation. Since I had already held off for so long, I decided to read it anyway and I am really glad I did.
This memoir is the perfect combination of funny and poignant. Noah's story is incredible and hearing it in his own words is especially meaningful. He was born in South Africa ...more

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Jan 01, 2019 Donna rated it it was amazing

Shelves: biography-memoir, audio

What a powerful story. Trevor Noah is the son of a black mother and a white father coming of age as the apartheid system is being dismantled in South Africa. Although the laws are changing, attitudes are not and he never feels comfortable in the black, white, or “colored” worlds. His mother is one of the strongest women in literature with one blind spot—she can’t/won’t leave her abusive husband.

This book was especially moving as I read it right after “Disgrace” by Coetzee which looks at South A ...more

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