Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Reviewed by Cole M.
Grade 11

The book Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood is a coming of age tale of a young man in South Africa during and after the Apartheid.

The narrative is split into two separate parts: one being Trevor Noah's childhood and the other his teenage and adolescent years. In his childhood years, he was treated as white by his family and black by the caucasians in South Africa. This leads to him feeling like an outsider no matter where he goes; whether it be the schools or the neighborhoods he lives in. However, during his teenage years he decides to embrace his African identity. One thing allows him to be able to interact with others within the book and that is language. Because of this feeling of loneliness, Trevor figures out people are more welcoming if you speak their language. However, unlike some authors, Trevor doesn't only focus on the bad as he often looks back on the good as well. There are also small blurbs throughout the book discussing the history of Apartheid.

Trevor focuses heavily on race and how it impacted him throughout his life. For instance, he goes into how his relationship with his father was affected by racism during Apartheid. The emphasis on it shows the effect racist ideals used for propaganda in the Apartheid had on people during and after it.

I would highly recommend this book as it was an eye opener for me, but not to the point where it wasn't entertaining. Overall, a very good read.