Let me start by saying Trevor Noah is a better comedian than he is a writer. Still, this book is worth a read- for how it discusses a lot of grave issues in a light-hearted yet respectful manner. If you don’t already know about Trevor Noah- he is an award-winning South African Comedian who hosts the Daily Show with Trevor Noah.
This book talks about the difficulty faced by Trevor Noah’s mother while raising him in South Africa because of the “Immorality Act of 1927”. This act prohibits the relationship between a European man and a woman of South Africa. Making Trevor Noah be “Born a Crime”.
Though I initially picked up this book thinking I would be reading about Trevor Noah’s journey as a stand-up comedian. As I turned the pages, I found myself pulled into a whirlpool of misadventures that happened with and around Trevor Noah. The root cause of all this being- Apartheid, the segregation between the black and the white. Since his father was a Swiss-German man and his mother was a proud Xhosa woman, childhood for Trevor was different from his cousins. While his mother tried to keep his childhood safe and regular, Trevor Noah’s mischiefs combined with the colour of his skin had something else planned.
While reading this book, you will realize how history was not that long ago. Trevor Noah, the man I laugh with every single day- is the same Trevor Noah who had to face the apartheid that I read in my book. The same apartheid we are accustomed to referring to as distant history.
What is intrinsic and intriguing about this book is how Trevor Noah talks about racism, death and traumatic events in his life, but he refuses to let us pity him. Instead, I had fits of laughter all while saying “Touche”. From shitting in the middle of his house to a world-renowned comedian, Trevor Noah has come a long way. This book can not even start to fathom what an incredible life he is living. That must be my immense liking toward Trevor Noah speaking. You can read the last chapter of the book to be on the same page as me. It truly takes a genuine artist to present the life and death situation of one’s mother comically and somehow make it so heartwarming.
I will not say this book is relateable or is one of the best read you will ever have. You might not even have the feel of reading a book that was the case for me. This book feels like a conversation with a long lost friend who had so much to tell. By the end of it, you find yourself saying, “Tell me more”.
Thus, making this one of the perfect books to pick up during lockdown while you have to stay at home and away from friends.
Happy Reading!