Kelly reviews Born A Crime by Trevor Noah

TITLE: Born a Crime
AUTHOR: Trevor Noah
NARRATOR: Trevor Noah
PUBLICATION DATE: November 15, 2016
RUN TIME: Hours & Minutes
ORDER LINKS: Amazon | Audible | B&N

BOOK SYNOPSIS:
The compelling, inspiring, and comically sublime story of one man’s coming-of-age, set during the twilight of apartheid and the tumultuous days of freedom that followed.

Trevor Noah’s unlikely path from apartheid South Africa to the desk of The Daily Show began with a criminal act: his birth. Trevor was born to a white Swiss father and a black Xhosa mother at a time when such a union was punishable by five years in prison. Living proof of his parents’ indiscretion, Trevor was kept mostly indoors for the earliest years of his life, bound by the extreme and often absurd measures his mother took to hide him from a government that could, at any moment, steal him away. Finally liberated by the end of South Africa’s tyrannical white rule, Trevor and his mother set forth on a grand adventure, living openly and freely and embracing the opportunities won by a centuries-long struggle.
Born a Crime is the story of a mischievous young boy who grows into a restless young man as he struggles to find himself in a world where he was never supposed to exist. It is also the story of that young man’s relationship with his fearless, rebellious, and fervently religious mother: his teammate, a woman determined to save her son from the cycle of poverty, violence, and abuse that would ultimately threaten her own life.
The eighteen personal essays collected here are by turns hilarious, dramatic, and deeply affecting. Whether subsisting on caterpillars for dinner during hard times, being thrown from a moving car during an attempted kidnapping, or just trying to survive the life-and-death pitfalls of dating in high school, Trevor illuminates his curious world with an incisive wit and unflinching honesty. His stories weave together to form a moving and searingly funny portrait of a boy making his way through a damaged world in a dangerous time, armed only with a keen sense of humor and a mother’s unconventional, unconditional love.

REVIEW:
This was a very enjoyable book. I really enjoyed having Trevor read this to me also. There is no way I would have ever been able to pronounce the African languages. This is just a wonderful love story to his mother. Trevor’s mom is a freaking rock star. I can’t even imagine my child being as naughty as him.
My favorite part of this book is the magnifying glass and the matches. I laughed so hard (kinda felt bad about it too).
Born a Crime is a wild ride of emotional highs and lows that makes you look at the life you have and be thankful all the potholes that you hit. Because they are just that. A bump in the road. Even if you get a flat you find a way to keep going. Now I don’t think I will try my hand at jumping out of a moving car. But you know sometimes you just have to do it.
If you are looking for a good read you should think about picking up a copy of this book or better yet grab the audio book.

Disclaimer:
I purchased this audiobook and this review is my own opinion and not a paid review.

4 Hearts