'Born a Crime' by Trevor Noah

Born a Crime, Trevor Noah (4.0)

This is simple title for a thoughtful book. The comedian, Trevor Noah, is young for a memoirist, but his situation is rather unique which makes it worthy of an early look. Growing up in South Africa with a white Swiss father and black mother both during apartheid and post, he describes moving (and surviving) through all the varied cultures and never really fitting into any of them. While he doesn’t mince words about apartheid, he focuses on the realities for someone who looks ‘colored’ (very distinct in South Africa as not black or white), can speak many languages, and who’s friends live in Soweto while he lives in a white suburb. Given the various troubles that befall Mr. Noah and his mother, how he succeeds in life and his attitude throughout is a tribute to his upbringing by his mother. Overall the book illustrates the underlying love of a son for a mother who works hard to keep him centered, even with many crises due to a very tough environment.