Born A Crime By Trevor Noah

"Born a Crime" is a memoir by the comedian Trevor Noah and it was a joy to read. I didn't quite read the full book in a single sitting, but I did read it in a single day. In this book Trevor Noah takes us through stories of his childhood, his family, and his friends and how those stories bring us to the present. Of all the comedian memoirs that I have read, this is definitely my favorite.

To follow the cliche: I laughed, I cried, and to digress, I realized that my mom should not read this because he swears a fair amount (that is very pointedly for you, Mom). But, there is a young readers edition if anyone is interested in the book but not interested in swearing where the framing of the book is changed to teach younger kids about the history of South Africa and removes the swearing. The New York Times has an article about the young readers edition here if you would like to learn more.

While Trevor Noah tackles serious topics throughout the book, he does so in a way that is not depressing for readers. He doesn't solely focus on the bad parts of his life, but he doesn't solely focus on the good parts which give us a balanced view. I particularly loved the sections of the book where Noah spoke of his childhood before apartheid ended and his existence was illegal because he shared how he didn't realize anything was particularly strange when he was a child. It wasn't until he was removed from the situation and the fear that both the absurdity and justification of some of his mothers actions became clear. And what makes this book different from many comedian memoirs is that he hardly talks about his process of becoming a comedian, it's just something that happens. This book encompasses the stories of his life outside of his career.

Overall, this book was wonderful to read. And I would definitely recommend it!

And, if this is something you care about, the hardcover without the dust jacket is lovely :)

XO, Ellen