Trevor Noah: Born A Crime

This was another book club read for our team book club. I don't read much non-fiction, and I didn't know who Trevor Noah was before reading the book, but overall, I did end up enjoying this memoir.

Trevor Noah, a successful South African comedian, tells the story of how in Apartheid South Africa, his birth was against the law. Noah explores his race and how that influenced his identity as well as the race of his mother, his father, and the rest of his family. He explores his relationships with his mother in particular, as she was central to his life, and ended up being shot in the head (but surviving) by his step father.

Overall, this was a light-hearted take on the deep racial divides that existed in South Africa during Apartheid. I didn't know much about Apartheid going into the book, and I'm glad I was able to understand more of what South Africa was like during that time. Despite the serious topics that Noah touches on, domestic violence, abuse, race, the book doesn't feel heavy. He had a way to lighten the stories of what he saw and experienced.

This book was a little hard to follow at times. Noah didn't always place us very well chronologically, and it was difficult to tell when and sometimes where events were taking place.

Overall I rated this book: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

PG-13 ish for some discussion of sexual topics, domestic violence with somewhat graphic descriptions of a shooting.

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