This is a fascinating read, both of one person and one family's life and of an entire culture.

Many Americans have come to know Trevor Noah through his work on The Daily Show. In Born a Crime, we can see much more; that Noah's birth actually was a crime in apartheid-era South Africa; that his black Xhosa mother risked imprisonment and expulsion from Johannesburg back to her homeland of Soweto if Trevor's existence were discovered. So Trevor lived a very careful life as a child, rarely seeing his father at times. Subversion was a well-played life game. If Trevor's existence had been discovered he would have been taken away to an institution for mulattoes or coloreds, for labeling was an apartheid pastime.

This is the story of one life but also of a country with severe identity issues. And Noah personifies so many of the issues at the forefront of South African life during his lifetime. He was never an acceptable person to many because he wasn't black or white and not accepting of the colored label because he self-identified as black. He didn't know where he fit in, didn't look like his black mother and her family and not like his father. He did not feel he fit the colored label that sometimes included Chinese or Japanese (who at other times were considered white). And he wasn't black enough to be acceptable by many blacks outside his family. The end of apartheid changed all of this legally but not identity-wise for a boy trying to fit in among his school mates, etc.

Trevor seems to have been an intelligent child and teen who lived on being funny, acting outrageous at times. Of course nothing about his early life computes for someone not raised under apartheid and then a country trying to find itself after throwing off apartheid and developing new systems. He writes of so many moments that not only bring his life alive for the reader, but bring the reality of life in South Africa for non-whites more into focus. I believed I knew a bit about South Africa's recent history and the end of apartheid. This book has shown me that I know little.

I thank Trevor Noah for sharing his story with us, for all of the personal and South African societal detail it provides, that closer look it is important to take.

One note on the narrative itself. It does not read in a continuous arc time-wise, and you will find time shifts occurring between what are essentially more separate essays than sequential chapters of his life. Occasionally I found this slightly bothersome but probably wouldn't have had I known up front this was the structure. However Noah centers you throughout with his wit and his much-loved mother.

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

As a huge fan of his comedy show, since he replaced Jon Stewart on the Daily Show at Comedy Central in 2015, I couldn't wait to read Trevor Noah's memoir. This book is read by the author and is pitch perfect. Noah who is 32 years old, tells his story of growing up in South Africa during apartheid. Noah's mother is black and his father white and, mixed parentage was illegal when he was born. His story is both serious and humorous and, the chapters are both informative and compelling, focusing on specific topics. Each chapter focuses on a specific story that deals with matters like parenting, racism, love, crime, punishment, and teen antics and teen angst. Some of the people who played a significant role in his life are spoken of in multiple chapters. His mother was a strong-willed but stern woman. A deeply religious woman who loved her son and tried to show give him a good foundation for success. It amazed me how well the author could take a sad or tragic event and turn the experience into a positive. I was also surprised to learn that Noah was fluent in six languages. This book was amazing in every way, a history lesson and a wonderful memoir as well. BTW: If you've never seen The Daily Show, you are missing out on some terrific comedy. (5/5 stars)

Trevor Noah is simply amazing. He has a knack for story telling that puts you in the center of the scene. I thoroughly enjoyed his biography and his life lessons. Wonderful and powerful!

I found this to be an engaging and an educational read. His circumstances were unusual, being a child of a mixed (and illegal) marriage in apartheid South Africa. I think its a fantastic read to understand the cultural implications of such a hateful regime, and also highlights the power of Trevor's personal story, which is told with such amusement and pathos. It's a fascinating story told very well. I recommend it highly.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

Born a Crime is Trevor Noah’s memoir of growing up in South Africa. His Xhosa mother decided she wanted a baby with his Swiss father, despite knowing that it was a crime at that time, punishable with up to 5 years in jail. Apartheid came to an end during his childhood, but he still never fully fit in with any group because there were no other mixed-race people his age.

This book allowed me a deeper understanding of how apartheid worked and the years after it ended. Trevor Noah’s experiences growing up would have held a lesser man back, but he thrived despite or because of them. The stories are at times horrifying but are also interspersed with Noah’s humor, keeping it from getting too heavy. Noah’s mom sounds like an amazing woman. I highly recommend this book!

Trevor Noah is known to many as a comedian and the host of The Daily Show. But his childhood certainly did not suggest that he would have international fame--in fact, Noah's very existence was illegal as a bi-racial child in South Africa. He writes about his upbringing with a strong and devout mother, a large extended family, and infrequent visits with his white father. Reading this book confirms that Noah's humor is not confined to a tv studio and gives us insight into the difficulties of growing up in South Africa during apartheid.

A lot of readers talk about books that actually make them laugh out loud, but I don't experience that very often. This was a rare exception, and I often found myself laughing and then reading a passage out loud to my husband. Noah strikes a careful balance here as the hilarious stories are often a result of the poverty and discrimination he faced as a child and young man. While you might laugh at his youthful attempts to persuade his mother that they really didn't need to attend a third church service, things become a bit more serious when his mother throws him out of a moving taxi on the way to said service because their lives were in danger. While the stories are arranged somewhat haphazardly, I loved reading them and perhaps the loveliest thing is that there are no stories about his success as a comedian and television personality. Instead, readers are treated to the highs and lows of a bi-racial boy in South Africa who could be anyone facing similar problems; we just happened to get the hilarious and thoughtful stories of Trevor Noah.

Born a Crime
by Trevor Noah
Spiegel and Grau November 2016
304 pages
Read via Netgalley

I was honestly surprised by how much I loved this book. As a big Daily Show fan who fell off when Trevor Noah took over, I wasn’t sure if his humor would be up my alley. I was dead wrong. As I was reading this, I kept telling friends that The Daily Show isn’t doing justice to his humor. This book was laugh out loud funny while never minimizing the bizarre and disturbing circumstances of growing up illegal in apartheid South Africa.

The book is an incredible tribute to his mother, who is portrayed as bossy, fearless and whip-smart. She’s honestly inspiring in how little she cares for the social structures of apartheid that try and hold her back. The two of them are a united front against the ups and downs of life, which Noah writes about eloquently and hilariously.

Noah does an especially good job of introducing the structures of apartheid, the geography of his youth and the ups and downs of being someone who never fit in anywhere. Despite the serious nature of the topics, Noah is a world class comedian and makes even the darkest of stories hilarious. I definitely recommend picking this up and reading it, no matter who you are.

An amazing work of autobiography! I love Trevor on The Daily Show and for his comedy, but this book is about so much more than talking about himself and his background. It's about South Africa, Apartheid, religion, faith, and family. It is a tale of a boy being raised by a largely single mother and how it affected his attitude towards faith and family. It is a morality tale about acceptance and forgiveness, even towards those who have severely wronged you. This book is funny and insightful, but it is ultimately a book that renews your faith in the world and reinforces that you should not take anything for granted. Wonderful to read or even to give as a gift to friend.

<p><i>Why are you smiling?</i> my daughter asks me. <i>You never smile.</i></p>

<p><i>It's funny</i> I say. <i>The book.</i></p>

<p><i>Oh</i> my daughter says. <i>That's good.</i></p>

<p>And it is funny. It's almost light-hearted as it touches on the different aspects of growing up mixed-race in apartheid and early-post apartheid South Africa. Obviously, none of the racism, sexism, colourism, poverty, domestic violence, general violence, etc., is funny or light-hearted, but Noah's approach makes all the heavy stuff manageable. He pokes fun at the inane society he was born into, taking its power away by demonstrating how ridiculous apartheid and its consequences are. Some of it is shtick (what memoir isn't?), but it's a genuinely well-written, well-thought-out memoir about South Africa in transition, about his mother (who I loved), about being a kid and doing stupid things in a brutal world. </p>

<p>And, thankfully, it's not rags-to-riches, pull-yourself-up-by-your-own-bootstraps-despite-injustice read. As Noah himself writes:</p>

<blockquote>
People love to say, “Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime.” What they don’t say is, “And it would be nice if you gave him a fishing rod.” That’s the part of the analogy that’s missing.
</blockquote>

<p>Maybe some of our neo-con politicians need to sit down and think about that.</p>

<p><A href="https://www.librarything.com/work/18499935/book/139472942">Born a Crime</a> by Trevor Noah went on sale November 15, 2016.</p>

<p><small>I received a copy free from <a href="https://www.netgalley.com/">Netgalley</a> in exchange for an honest review.</small></p>

I learned more about Trevor Noah in South Africa and his life. Growing up in the segregation and ways he survived and thrived. Good read!

Loved this bittersweet memoir recounting Trevor Noah's experience as a child of apartheid, poverty, and violence. His mom Patricia is one hell of a woman! Highly recommend the audiobook read by Noah himself

This was a quick and interesting read. It's amazing to think of how far Trevor has come in his life and how is mother taught him so many lessons. His positive outlook is inspiring. I would definitely recommend this to others.

This was a truly fantastic memoir that I think everyone should read. There were times when the timeline seemed a little disjointed and jumped around, but overall this was a solid memoir. The lessons that Trevor's mom imparted in him about how to treat people and the lessons about the importance of language are lessons that can not be stressed enough.

Great book! It was so enlightening to read about his life growing up. I would highly recommend this book.

Books by and about celebrities have a built-in audience. People are curious to read more about their favorite stars, how they got to be where they are, who influenced them and, yes, even good old gossip. Three recent books by and about celebrities are all interesting in their own way.

Leslie Bennetts' “Last Girl Before Freeway: The Life, Loves, Losses, and Liberation of Joan Rivers” is the lone biography here. Bennett covers Rivers’ entire life, from when she was Joan Molinsky to her rise as a stand-up comedian, her successes and failures, and her eventual death in September of 2014 during what was supposed to be a simple surgical procedure.

The book is comprehensive, and with a subject such as Rivers, who accomplished so much in her life, it flies by quickly. Joan Molinsky grew up in a household where her doctor father, a kind and hard-working man, never made enough money for his wife, who feared poverty and always tried to keep up with the Joneses.

Joan was one of the first successful women stand-up comedians, and the book is filled with anecdotes from younger women stand-ups who sing the praises of Joan’s genius, even though Rivers often resented being called a mentor. She wanted to be hip and relevant, and her fearless stand-up routines, which she continued weekly even up to her death, reflected that.

The early sections of the book rely on material from Rivers’ own writings (she wrote several books, including two memoirs), but once Bennetts interviews people who worked with Rivers, who knew her well, the book gives the reader a better overall picture of this complicated woman.

Rivers was driven, and her many self-reinventions — rising from the ashes of her failed Fox talk show after her very public falling out with Johnny Carson to become not only a popular stand-up comic but also a hugely successful businesswoman designing and selling jewelry on the fledgling QVC network — are an inspiration to anyone who has been knocked down in life.

Actor Bryan Cranston’s “A Life in Parts” tells his story of a journeyman actor, where he began as a soap opera actor on “Loving” and became famous as the goofy dad on “Malcolm in the Middle,” then hit the stratosphere playing high school science teacher-turned-drug kingpin Walter White on “Breaking Bad.”

“A Life in Parts” recounts his childhood with a father who wanted to be a successful actor but failed, and then takes you through the life of an actor trying to make it. Cranston is successful because he treats acting as a craft, something to be finely honed.

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He shares stories from his early days on “Loving,” including how he found out he was fired, and there is a little good gossip here. He speaks fondly of his days on “Malcolm in the Middle” and there are a few chapters on “Breaking Bad,” with some interesting inside information for fans.

For anyone who loves the art of acting, “A Life in Parts” is wonderful book. Cranston has such a reverence for the work of acting, and reading about his process, how much he cares about doing good work, is fascinating.

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Trevor Noah is best known as the new host of “The Daily Show,” but his book “Born a Crime: Stories From A South African Childhood” is about his life growing up as the son of a black African woman and a white Swiss man in South Africa.

Noah is a terrific writer, and he grabs your attention right from the beginning. He grew up when apartheid was ending, after Nelson Mandela was freed from prison, but things didn’t get easier for South Africans right away. There was a strict caste system, and black Africans were pitted against colored Africans, and since Noah was half-white, he didn’t fit in anywhere.

“Born a Crime” gets its title from the fact that it was illegal for blacks and whites to marry, so his parents had to hide their relationship, and Trevor was never allowed to walk next to both of his parents.

The book is a really a love letter to his mom, who pretty much raised Trevor alone, although Trevor spent a lot of time with his grandmother. His stories of childhood are touching, funny and sad.

“Born a Crime” is one of the best memoirs I have read. It gives the reader a look at a place many of us are unfamiliar with, yet his story of a mother who worked hard to give her son a better life is universal.

Diane La Rue is a member of the National Book Critics Circle and blogs about books at http://bookchickdi.blogspot.com. You can follow her on Twitter @bookchickdi, and she can be emailed at laruediane2000@yahoo.com.

Generally, I’m not a big fan of memoirs. It’s not that I don’t like them, but I’m not as drawn to them as I am to novels. I made an exception for Trevor Noah’s new memoir, Born a Crime, and I’m so glad that I did.

From beginning to end, I was entranced by this book and his story. I learned so much about him (as one would expect) and South African culture and history. In easy to read bite sized pieces, Noah weaves the history of his home with his own history and provides introspective comments that analyzed and critiqued what he was taught and what he experienced.

Noah has always been good at taking small events and making broad commentaries about society, as you can see on The Daily Show. Born a Crime is full of these commentaries and give a deeper look into the world we live in regarding everything from apartheid and race to economics. Because even though the events that he discusses only happened to him or his friends and family, he manages to bring society as a whole into the discussion that connects himself to the entire world. While reading the novel, I could hear his voice in the words. The humor is astounding (I still think about the poop story every once and a while whenever I need to smile), and so true to his character.

The aspect I loved the most about this book is the prevalent storyline about his relationship with his mother. There were moments where I laughed, moments were I cried, and moments were I went “Yup, my mother did the exact same thing.” The admiration, love, and respect that he has for his mother is clearly evident, honest, and truly heartwarming to read. I loved every minute of it.

Before reading his book, I admired and respected Trevor Noah from his work as a comedian and the host of The Daily Show. Now, I admire him even more. Everyone should read this book.

This was an amazing read. If you only know Mr. Noah from his Daily Show or comedic appearances you will see a whole other side of him here. He's still witty and intelligent but this is his recounting of his childhood living under apartheid, and after apartheid, in South Africa with his mother. According to apartheid law and being the child of a white father and black mother, he actually was born a crime. American racism must seem like such a simple construct after what he and his mother lived through. And not only the racism, but the violence and poverty caused by that racism. Imagine walking to school and seeing a burned corpse on the side of the street, and not thinking it was particularly out of place. The domestic violence his mother endured from his stepfather because the local police did not want to deal with it, and took the side of Noah's step-father who ultimately ends up shooting his mother through the head. And yet, what comes through is the strength and love his mother gives him at all times. This is a biography I'm going to remember for a long time.

Trevor Noah, best known as host of The Daily Show, delivers a memoir that's both moving and humorous. He's a comedian, after all! Noah was "born a crime" in 1984 to his South African mother and Swiss-German father; under apartheid, their relationship and their son's very existence was illegal. Each chapter opens with a little background on the author's home country, including the mechanisms of apartheid, the role of language in South Africa, and the quagmire of racial identity in a former police state. Noah then relates youthful episodes, escapades, and misadventures, with his close relationship to his mother anchoring the entire narrative. The book's final and most gut-wrenching chapter chronicles her marriage to an abusive man, which nearly ended in her murder. Trevor Noah is a popular TV personality, but this exceptionally well-written book rises above the typical celebrity memoir. Play the audiobook excerpt in which Noah gets his hair straightened for the first time, and I guarantee there will be a holds list for this book!

I watch Trevor Noah on The Daily Show every weeknight and count myself as a fan. I've watched his comedy specials on Netflix and have been really fascinated by stories about his growing up in South Africa. I'm old enough to remember the scourge of apartheid and how as a college student, I marched against it in demonstrations. But Trevor gives us an inside view of the truly crushing poverty and hardship that existed. That he makes it interesting is remarkable. Even if I didn't know who he was, I would recommend this book because of it's historical import. The day to day hardscrabbling, the violence, the hustles just to stay alive are written with a sort of gallows humor. Loved this book. Funny and important.

As expected, well written and thought-provoking. Noah has been through so much in his lifetime, yet he's still mesmerized and optimistic. His good nature comes through in his memoir, just as it does on stage. A remarkable young man with a keen, well-focused eye on the world.